Forgotten Memories
by Summer4Girl
Summary: After disappearing for an entire month, Harry is found with no recollection of whom he is, no memories of his past, his friends, his family, and his abilities. The only thing he can remember is the face of the pretty girl with flaming red hair and light brown eyes, Ginny Weasley.
1. The Noise Outside

**Chapter One: **

**The Noise Outside**

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**A/N:This is a slightly alternate universe in which Harry and Cho are still dating going into his sixth year.**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I pressed my ear against the door, listening to the sounds of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's voices. Quietly pushing the door open so that I could see into the kitchen, I peeked inside. Uncle Vernon was leaning against the wall, a pudding cup in his hand. Aunt Petunia was at the stove, boiling a cup of tea.

"Absolutely not!" Uncle Vernon exclaimed, his face growing red with fury.

Aunt Petunia considered this. "But, Vernon, dear, we'd be getting rid of him sooner."

Uncle Vernon opened and closed his mouth, looking conflicted. "Oh, alright...but they better not show up in their barmy clothes. I won't have the neighbors asking questions!"

Aunt Petunia nodded.

"Boy! Get in here!" Uncle Vernon shouted, spotting me at the door.

I pushed through the door, sighing, preparing myself for whatever shouting match was about to come.

"Were you listening at the door?" Aunt Petunia demanded, her beady eyes narrowing at me.

"No."

"Don't lie to us, boy!" Uncle Vernon roared, his face turning an odd shade of purple.

"Just go to your room!" Aunt Petunia ordered, her lips pursed.

I shrugged. "Okay."

"Don't you want to know whether you can go?" Uncle Vernon asked, surprised I wasn't putting up a fight.

"Can I?" I asked.

Aunt Petunia crossed her arms, exchanging a dark look with Uncle Vernon. "Yes, but no funny business!"

"Tell them to act _normal _when they come pick you up," Uncle Vernon growled.

"I'll tell them."

"Now, go to your room!" Aunt Petunia snapped. Shrugging, I turned back around, hurrying upstairs to my room. I scribbled a letter to Ron, telling him that the Dursleys would allow Mr. Weasley to come pick me up the next day. After I had sent Hedwig away, I slumped into my bed, thinking about the past summer's events.

I'd only gotten to Privet Drive about two weeks ago, and not much had happened since then. I'd spent most of the days locked in my bedroom, thinking about the Department of Mysteries. I had watched Bellatrix kill Sirius right in front of me. It had all happened so fast, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. If it hadn't been for my stupid gullibility, Sirius would still be safely living in Grimmauld Place.

As much as I loved the Burrow, I wasn't sure how much I was looking forward to spending the rest of the summer there. I missed Ron and Hermione, but I just wasn't ready to face them. Hermione had shown signs of wanting to talk about Sirius; in all the letters she had written to me, she had only discussed Sirius. Ron, as well, had slipped in hints about Sirius.

Cho, who wrote to me nearly everyday, was slightly hurt that I never told her about Sirius. I kept apologizing, but it was getting tiresome. I just wanted to move on from this whole ordeal.

Surprisingly, Ginny was the only person who seemed to brighten my day. She wrote to me at the beginning of the summer, sending me the sneakoscope Ron had given me in our third year. It somehow had ended up in her bag, and she sent it back right away, apologizing for the mix-up. I replied back, glad somebody wasn't writing to me about Sirius for once. Since then, we had been writing back and forth, discussing Quidditch, Hogwarts, the D.A., and anything else going on at the Burrow.

Sighing, I put my hands behind my head, wondering what Ginny and Ron were doing right now. I could already see them all crowded at the Burrow, waiting Mrs. Weasley's custards or playing Quidditch outside. The twins and Ginny were probably pulling some sort of prank on Ron that they would tell me all about the moment I arrived, and Ron's ears would turn a bright red.

Hermione, on the other hand, was probably curled up somewhere reading a book. On her last letter, she had informed me that her parents her were taking her to France again. She and her parents were probably traveling all over the country, visiting museums and going on tours.

Cho was also traveling. I remembered her telling me that she was visiting Ireland with Marietta's family. Yawning, I began drifting into sleep, remembering the last conversation I had had with Cho.

_"I just wish you would have told me," she grumbled, crossing her arms. _

_I sighed, looking around the busy train station. Through the window, I could see Ron and Hermione settling into a compartment, waving for me to hurry up. I turned my attention back to Cho, who was staring at me expectantly. "Cho, I couldn't," I told her for what felt like the hundredth time. _

_"Why not?" she demanded. _

_"Oh, gee, I don't know, maybe, because he was a convict on the run from the law with hundreds of dementors and the entire English government chasing after him."_

_"You could have at least taken me with you to the Department of Mysteries!"_

_"I told you, there was no time! I didn't even want to take the others!" I exclaimed, exasperated. _

_She glared at me for a moment, but then her eyes softened. "Oh, Harry, I'm such a cow! I'm so sorry. You just lost your godfather, and I'm standing here yelling at you. I should be more sensitive...did you want to talk about it?"_

_"No!" I snapped. A look of shock and hurt crossed her face. "I mean...I'm just not ready to talk about it yet," I said quietly. _

_"Of course," she said, taking my hand. _

_"Harry, come on, we saved you a seat!" Hermione's voice thrilled across the train station. She had her head sticking out the window, showing me her watch for the time. _

_"Coming!" I called, glad for an excuse not to talk about Sirius. _

_"Actually, I promised to sit with Marietta," Cho told me apologetically, "but you go on. I understand you'd probably rather be with your friends...especially after everything that's happened."_

_I smiled. "Thanks."_

_I leaned down, giving her a quick kiss._

_"Come find me later to say goodbye, okay," Cho said. _

_"Of course," I told her, grabbing my trunk and rushing onto the train. _

_"Hurry up," Hermione snapped impatiently, ushering me into the compartment. _

"Hurry up!" Uncle Vernon shouted through the door, jerking me awake. "I want to speak with you!"

Groaning, I rolled out of bed and opened the door to find Uncle Vernon in his best suit.

"I'm taking the family out for dinner tonight," he said importantly, fixing his tie.

"Can't wait," I muttered sarcastically.

"Don't be stupid. You're not going!" he snapped.

I shrugged. "Fine by me."

Uncle Vernon narrowed his eyes at me. I knew I was throwing him off with my nonchalant attitude lately.

"We'll be back late. Don't do anything stupid," he growled, turning away.

I slumped back into my bed, listening until I heard the car outside drive away. It was a peaceful night outside, almost eerie with how quiet it was. I considered going outside to pay Mrs. Figg a visit. I hadn't spoken to her at all since I returned from Hogwarts, and I really needed to thank her for last summer when she helped me and Dudley with the dementor attacks.

I was in the process of putting on my shoes when I heard the loud crack outside, disrupting the peaceful silent night.

"Mundugus?" I muttered, frowning. Last summer, right before the dementor attacks, I had heard the loud crack of somebody disaparating. It turned out to be Mundugus Fletcher, a sleazy member of the Order of the Pheonix.

"They must be here to pick me up early," I thought, jumping up.

"Mundugus! Mr. Weasley!" I shouted, grabbing my wand and running outside.


	2. Cookies and Tea

**Chapter Two**:

**Cookies and Tea**

* * *

**Ron Weasley **

* * *

I paced back and forth in my small, cramped room, waiting for Harry's letter. _What in Merlin's saggy left butt cheek was he doing. _I had written to him last night, eager to tell him that we would be picking him up soon, but he still hadn't written me back yet. Usually, he wrote me back within hours. He'd been so different this summer, barely responding to my letters. I'd gotten the hint not to talk about Sirius, but he still didn't seem to want to write back. His replies were short and to the point. Hermione had noticed it too, but she told me not to worry. I could already imagine her response.

"_Oh, Ronald, honestly! Harry just lost Sirius! Of course he's being distant!"_

The difference was, though, that Hermione would be pushing Harry to try and talk about it. I, on the other hand, knew not to push Harry. He was my best mate; I knew how to handle a delicate situation like this. I was trying to give him his space, but it was a bit difficult to do so. Especially since Harry was the most sought out boy in all of the world, not only by the good side but by the bad side as well. I wanted to make sure no death eaters had tried to kidnap him or anything, but I didn't want to seem overbearing.

I knew that when he was ready, Harry would talk about whatever he needed to talk about. He was too much of a hero, never wanting to let others in, always wanting to take in all the pain for himself. He just didn't want other people to suffer along with him. Plus, Sirius was like the dad he never had. It was one thing to lose his father once, but then to lose the closest thing he had to a father again...I couldn't imagine it. I remembered Harry's reaction when Sirius died, and I knew that the pain from losing Sirius was too much for him. I was scared he would do something reckless.

"Hedwig!" I gasped, running to the window to let the snowy owl inside.

She stuck out her leg importantly.

"Thanks," I said, petting her gently before ripping the letter off her leg. "How's Harry doing?" I asked her.

She gave me a sad hoot before joining Pig in his cage.

I sighed. "Should've known."

I unrolled the piece of parchment, reading Harry's quick response.

Whooping, I ran downstairs.

"Dad, they're letting us pick Harry up! We don't have to take him by force!" I shouted, running downstairs.

Dad was being served by Mum at the kitchen table.

"Brilliant!" Dad exclaimed, chewing on his food.

"That's fantastic, Ronald!" Mum beamed, pouring Dad some more pumpkin juice.

I was about to respond when the kitchen door burst open, and Mundugus Fletcher came running in, looking terrified. He was panting, and there were little beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Arthur! Molly! Help!" he shouted, hiding behind Mum for cover.

Lupin stormed in, his hands shaking, looking furious. He ran at Mudungus, grabbing him by the neck.

"What the-" I said.

"Remus!" Mum shrieked, taken aback.

"How could you! _How could you?_" Lupin roared, ignoring Mum. I shrunk back, actually fearing Lupin. _Lupin. _Lupin, who in my opinion, was the best teacher I had ever had. The person who I had come to respect and admire. But never actually _fear. _

"I-I didn't mean to...I had no idea..." Mundugus stammered, choking slightly as Lupin's grip around his neck tightened.

"Remus!" Dad shouted, alarmed.

"I'm going to kill you!" Lupin screamed over Dad. I stared at him, terrified. He looked absolutely mad, but more than anything else, he looked _scared. _

"Remus, what is going on?" Mum demanded as she attempted to pull Remus off of Mundugus, but he just ignored her. "Both of you calm down, right now! I'm sure if you just sit down and have some cookies and tea, we can figure whatever this is out! Come on, then! I just made fresh cookies...straight out of the oven!"

Lupin let out a dry laugh. "Cookies and tea won't fix this, Molly."

"Why? What in the bloody hell is going on!" I exclaimed.

"Remus!" another voice shouted. I turned my head to find a woman with bright pink hair marching into the kitchen. At the sound of her voice, Lupin slackened his grip on Mundugus.

"Let him go," Tonks ordered.

"Remus, what's going on?" Dad demanded.

"He's gone, Arthur!" Remus shouted.

"Who? Who's gone?"

I gulped, immediately understanding the fear and loss in Remus' eyes. "Not Harry," I choked out.

Remus let go of Mundugus, a completely defeated look on his face. "They took him," he whispered.

Mum shook her head. "No. They can't have. Dumbledore swore nobody could get to Harry. He said that as long as he was with his blood family, You-Know-Who couldn't touch him."

"Well, they found a way," Lupin said.

"No, I refuse to believe it," Mum snapped, her face becoming more and more pale by the second.

"Arthur, we need to find him," Lupin exclaimed, grabbing Dad's arm.

Dad nodded. "Of course. Tell us everything."

"They took him! They took him under _his _watch," Remus said darkly, turning to Mundugus again.

"I was only gone for five minutes. I swear!" Mundugus exclaimed, massaging his neck.

Before I even realized what I was doing, I found myself pointing my wand at Mundugus. "After the dementor attack that happened last summer, you _still _left Harry alone?" I asked quietly. "Did you not learn your lesson last time?"

"I didn't think anything could happen! Besides, old Figgy was there too!" he said, backing away from me.

"You left an old squib to protect the most sought out person in all of the country?" I hissed.

"Only for five minutes! When I came back, they had already taken him!"

"What happened?" Mum shrieked. I jumped back, startled. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes crazy. She was right beside me, pointing her wand right at Mundugus. Lupin, Dad, and Tonks followed in our lead.

"You guys!" Mundugus said, his eyes widening as we closed around him.

"What _happened_?" Lupin repeated.

"I don't know! I got a call about a business deal...I didn't think it would take very long! So, I just popped out really quick. I come back five minutes later, and Figgy's all a mess. Says that Harry isn't anywhere to be found. I figured she'd been off her rockers, but when I went to check, Harry was gone...Dumbledore's already on it, though! Figgy contacted him immediately. I'm sure he'll figure all of this out."

Lupin shook his head. "How could they have gotten, Harry, though? It's supposed to be impossible!"

Mundugus thought about this. "Come to think of it...I have gotten the feeling that somebody's been following me for a couple of days..."

"Get out!" Mum shrieked. "Get out, now!"

"Molly," Dad coaxed.

"No! Mundugus, you filthy rat, if you come anywhere near my family again, I swear on Godric Gryffindor that I will kill you! GET OUT!"

Mundugus didn't need telling twice. He was running out of the kitchen, before any of us could stop him.

"It still doesn't make any sense, though," Lupin muttered, "Harry's supposed to be safe...as long as he lives with the Dursley's..."

"We can't worry about that _now_," I told him, "we need to find Harry!"

"Right! Come on, then, Arthur. You know the plan?" Lupin asked, turning to Dad and Tonks.

Dad nodded. "Of course. It's protocol."

"See you all in a little bit," Tonks agreed.

"Wait! What about me!" I shouted after them as they raced out of the kitchen.

"You go get some sleep," Mum said.

"No! I want to help!"

"Ronald!" Mum yelled, her voice cracking.

I stared into her mournful eyes, tears threatening to escape her light brown eyes.

"He's my best mate, Mum," I told her, my voice low.

"What's going on?" Ginny yawned, traipsing down the stairs, her hair still wet from the shower, "Why was everybody yelling?"

Mum opened and closed her mouth, staring fearfully at Ginny.

"Harry's disappeared," I told her when Mum couldn't fine the right words to say it, "Mundugus flaked out, and now somebody took him."

Ginny's eyes widened, and the same fear and panic that had washed over everybody's faces crossed hers.

I turned back to Mum. "Mum, I'm begging you. I know Harry better than anyone else...I can help..." I pleaded.

"Me too!" Ginny offered immediately, though I could see she was struggling to keep up.

She stared at me for several seconds. My heart lifted as she looked like she was actually considering it.

"Oh, alright, then," she grumbled, getting out of her seat, "grab your coats!"

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**A/N: Hey, everybody! I just wanted to thank everybody who read the last chapter and/or left those nice comments! **

**I hope you keep reading:)**

**-Summer4Girl**


	3. One Month Later

**Chapter Three:**

**One Month Later**

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**Ron Weasley **

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I sat back in my seat, watching Hermione pace back and forth, her bushy hair swinging behind her.

"Hermione, you're giving me a head ache," I complained, "Sit down."

She glared at me. "I'm nervous."

"And I'm not?"

"You're not showing it."

"He's my best mate! Of course I'm scared for him!" I retorted angrily.

"Well, I don't understand how you can just calmly sit there and do nothing! We should be out there looking for him!"

"We were up all night looking for him."

"I still think he's at Malfoy Manor," Hermione said for the hundredth time.

"I know you do, but we already checked there, remember?" I said, reminding her of the several visits we paid Draco over the break. If you asked me, that git seemed a little smug that Harry was missing.

"Where else could he be?" she demanded.

I rubbed my temples. "I don't know."

I felt her sit beside me. "Ron, we need to find him."

"We will," I assured her. "Don't cry!" I exclaimed as Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Sighing, I wrapped my arms around her, whispering words of comfort.

"He's on the cover..._again_," Ginny grumbled, stamping into the living room. The three of us peered down at the front page of the daily prophet where Harry's face was gazing up at us below the title: _The Chosen One Still Missing, Friends and Family Continue Searching. _Hermione snatched the paper away from Ginny's hand. We watched as she tore the paper in half, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Ginny and I exchanged looks. Being raised in such a big family with so many older siblings had toughened us up; we weren't used to so much crying. Mum was never one to coddle us since there was so many of us to look after and so many things to be done. Plus, we were the younger siblings of Fred and George, and we were often the butt of their pranks. So, all in all, we weren't quite as weepy; we could handle tough situations. When she first learned of Harry's disappearance, Ginny cried a bit, but a few moments later, she got her act together, and she toughened up. Even now, I rarely saw her shed a tear over Harry. Instead, her face was set in determination and stubbornness. Hermione, on the other hand, was much more fragile and gentle. Anything that reminded her of Harry would immediately set her off. She was constantly crying. The good thing was, though, that she was just as determined as Ginny to find Harry. The two of them would stay up all night, discussing and planning ways to bring Harry back. I was sometimes offended they didn't include me in those plans. I was Harry's best friend, after all, and I knew him better than anyone else.

"Why did they do this!" Hermione cried after I had calmed her down a bit. Ginny sighed, sitting next to Hermione, looking exhausted. Her face was paler than usual and there were dark circles under her eyes. I didn't usually worry so much about Ginny, but lately I could see she was starting to lose weight. Normally, I probably wouldn't have noticed, but Hermione was constantly pointing it out, and it began to worry me. I began to take more notice at the things she said and did, and I was shocked to realize that Ginny was no longer her usual self. There was no more joking, no more laughter, no more smiles. She didn't even try to pull the mickey out of me anymore. It was as if she was a completely different person, a quiet, more reserved girl.

"Why did they do this!" Hermione asked again, burying her head in her hands.

"I don't know," I finally muttered, saying the same thing I always said when Hermione asked this.

"I don't understand how they could have just taken him," she murmured.

"What do you mean?" Ginny frowned.

"Harry was supposed to be protected! Dumbledore promised nobody could lay a finger on him as long as he was living with that awful family of his!"

I frowned, considering this. I hadn't put much thought as to how Harry was kidnapped. I mostly focused on trying to find him. Hermione, on the other hand, was constantly obsessing over this. She thought about it daily, plotting different scenarios in which Harry could have been captured, but none of them made sense to her. I figured the reason she was so hung up on this was because it was just another puzzle she couldn't solve.

"You reckon the charm broke?" Ginny asked.

Hermione shook her head. "Impossible. Not unless the Dursley's abandoned him or Harry ran away."

I scoffed. "That's it! Harry must have run away!"

"Harry wouldn't do that," Hermione sighed, "I considered it, but it doesn't make sense to me..."

"Why not?" I demanded. "He ran away before! Back in our third year, remember?"

"But that was before he knew about his mum's protective charm," Ginny pointed out.

"Exactly," Hermione nodded, "Harry wouldn't be stupid. He understands now why Dumbledore sends him there."

I looked at them dubiously. "Harry's also a hothead," I said, "he tends to do things...without fully thinking them through."

Hermione bit her lip. "That's true...Harry can be a bit reckless sometimes..."

"Plus, he was all cut up about losing Sirius," I added.

I watched as Hermione allowed these new thoughts to sink in. She bit her lip, the reels in her mind already working as she began to rethink everything else. I watched as new ideas and new thoughts worked themselves into her brain, and not for the first time, I felt a wave of jealousy at her intelligence. I wished I knew what was going through her mind, so that maybe I could have some idea as to what she thought happened to Harry.

Ginny narrowed her eyes at the kitchen door where there was a meeting being held. Mum had soundproofed the entire room, completely shutting us out. For the first half hour of the meeting, we tried digging through Fred and George's things, trying to find some way to listen in at the door, but even the Extendable Ears didn't work. Finally, after knocking at the door and trying to blast it open a few times, we finally gave up, deciding we would just ask Fred and George about the meeting later. Since they were eighteen, Mum had no choice but to allow them into the Order. While I was furious that they could join and I couldn't, I was also slightly grateful because the twins were more than willing to tell us anything we wanted. In a way, it was as if we were in the Order too. They even suggested some of our ideas at meetings.

"Do you think we'll find him before term begins?" Hermione wondered.

Ginny smiled slightly, raising her eyebrows. "Who's to say he won't find us first?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione frowned.

I grinned, understanding Ginny. "Hermione," I said slowly, "since when has Harry ever waited for somebody to come rescue him?"

"He'll probably save himself before we ever get the chance to save him," Ginny said. Hermione gave us a watery smile.

"The bloke can't help but be a bloody hero," I laughed. Hermione managed to choke out a small laugh, but I watched Ginny. She smiled slightly, but her eyes were still full of worry and concern. It was weird to have Ginny this way. Normally, she wouldn't shut up.

"How's Dean?" Hermione asked abruptly, noticing Ginny's wilting smile.

I scowled. "Dean?"

Ginny rolled her eyes at me. "He's good...worried about Harry, though...I think he wishes he could help too...Oh, did I tell you? Cho keeps writing to me!"

Hermione glared at her. "What does _she_ want?"

"Just news on Harry, that's all," Ginny replied.

"Well, if I were Harry, I would have broken up with her ages ago!" Hermione huffed.

I stared at her. "Weren't you the one that pushed for them to be together?" I exclaimed, exasperated.

"That was before I knew what a cow she was! Oh, Harry was so heartbroken over Sirius, and that silly girl did nothing but make him feel worse!" Hermione ranted. It brought me back to our last days of term. Harry had barely spoken a word to us about Sirius or the Dept. of Mysteries, so I followed in his lead and avoided anything Sirius-related. Hermione, on the other hand, attempted a therapy session whenever Harry was around. None of us knew what to say to him. Cho was the worst, though. Instead of comforting him, she would nag and complain at the fact that she never even knew Harry had a godfather. It infuriated Hermione, and I don't think she ever truly forgave Cho for that.

"Hermione, she's still Harry's girlfriend. We need to be nice," Ginny told her.

I frowned. "I don't mind Cho...but that Marietta friend of hers- " I broke off my sentence, unable to find words to describe my dislike of the girl.

"...and they're the ones that told Umbridge about the D.A.!" Hermione added.

"That was Marietta, not Cho," Ginny pointed out.

"Why are you defending Cho Chang!" Hermione demanded.

I frowned, finding it a bit odd as well. I'd always thought that Ginny's crush on Harry would have driven her to jealousy of Cho, but she was strangely being kind.

"I figured somebody needs to defend her if Harry isn't here. Besides, she cares about Harry too. She's just as scared as we are," she said, shrugging.

Hermione considered this. "Well, I suppose I can be nice...for Harry's sake."

I shrugged. "I don't have a problem with her...although, I wish she'd be a bit more cheerful..."

Ginny nodded in agreement with me, but Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ronald," she said, "she lost Cedric last year to You-Know-Who, and she's terrified she's going to lose Harry to You-Know-Who too. What do you expect? For her to be a silly, giggling girl just to please you?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind a smile every now and then," I retorted angrily. _What the bloody hell happened to her hating Cho, anyway?_

Ginny, who had been silent, suddenly looked up. "I can hear them now! The meeting's over!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. We ran inside as the kitchen door had suddenly unlocked. Everybody was in a frenzy, running around. Kingsley and Remus were leading a group of wizards outside, discussing something in hurried whispers. Dad was saying something to a second group of wizards, and they nodded fiercely, looking excited. Mum was waving her wand, putting away all the papers, drinks, and foods left on the table.

"The meeting's over so soon?" I asked, surprised.

She glanced at me. "Oh, Ronald," she beamed, "they've spotted Harry!"


	4. Multiple Personalties

**Chapter Four:**

**Multiple Personalities**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I tucked my hands in my pockets, looking around the crowded streets of Times Square New York. There seemed to be some sort of festival going on for there were masses of families flocking the place. All around, vendors yelled prices; police officers blew their whistles, shouting for order; children laughed; mothers reprimanded; and the band played on, oblivious to the fact that only a few people were actually listening to them. I rubbed my temples, confused as to where my splintering head ache was coming from.

_It must be all this noise,_ I thought to myself.

Beside me, a little girl was asking her mother for cotton candy.

"Oh, mommy, please!" she pleaded, tugging at her mother's arm.

"Oh, alright," the mother sighed, "but you better finish your dinner tonight!"

The little girl beamed as her mother began taking money out of her purse. I frowned, suddenly getting a hankering for cotton candy as well. I followed the little family to the colorful cart, displaying the sugary pink and blue candies.

"That'll be two dollars, sir," the vendor exclaimed cheerfully.

"Thanks, mate," I said, handing him a few dollar bills.

"British are you?" the man laughed, interested in my accent.

I frowned. "I-I have to go," I said, confused as to my sudden accent. As I turned around, startled, I ran into a tall dark man. He peered down at me, his eyes wide.

"Sorry, sir," I muttered, attempting to push past him, but he grabbed my arm, his eyes filling with complete joy.

"Harry!" he whispered, "it's really you! Remus! I've got him! Remus! We've found Harry!"

I smiled apologetically at him. "I'm sorry, sir. You must have the wrong bloke. My name's Henry. Henry Porter."

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

* * *

I stood with my back leaning against the kitchen door, occasionally shooting furious looks at my mum. My best friend was out there somewhere, probably scared and hurt, and all I could do was sit in the kitchen, waiting for the others to go find him. Hermione was pacing around the kitchen. Every time she heard a slight noise outside, her head would shoot to the window outside, as if expecting Harry to come walking into the kitchen. Ginny was at the sink. She had been washing the same plate for the past ten minutes. Mum was sitting at the kitchen table, nervously sipping her tea. I wasn't sure whether to be mad at her or not. I knew that if I yelled at her, we would get nowhere, and I wanted all the information I could get.

"So, where is he?" I finally asked, unable to take the silence much longer.

"New York," she replied.

"New York!" Hermione shrieked, stopping her pacing.

"How did he get there?" Ginny demanded furiously. She and Mum had had a very loud shouting match earlier, and I reckon Ginny was still upset.

Mum pursed her lips. "I don't know. You can ask Harry that when he returns."

"Is he...hurt?" Hermione whispered fearfully.

Mum sighed. "No, dear. Our reports tell us he looks healthy."

"What reports? How did you find him?" I demanded.

"An American witch spotted Harry in Times Square. She alerted the authorities that she might have seen him. Our biggest fear was that the other side would find him before we did. Luckily, Kingsley was running late for the meeting, and he was still at the ministry when the news came in. He came here and told us immediately. The stupid witch, though, didn't keep an eye on him, and he's just off roaming around in New York. Everybody went off to New York, and they're searching the city for him. Oh, I just hope we find him before the others!"

"Can't they just detect Harry? He's an underage wizard after all!" I said.

"Not unless he uses magic," Hermione reminded me.

"I still don't understand why we couldn't go!" Ginny fumed, her face still red with anger.

Mum glared at her. "Ginevra, I hardly think the Order will benefit from the help of three underage wizards."

"Ron was the one who noticed Harry's shirt at Malfoy manor," Ginny pointed out.

"And we're very glad he noticed, but that doesn't mean we're going to have three underage wizards searching one of the biggest muggle cities for the most wanted boy out there. Especially, when there are other death eaters within the same city, looking for any signs of magic!"

Hermione and I watched as Mum and Ginny glared at each other from across the room. I started to turn to Hermione, when over her head, I was able to get a quick view out of the window.

"Mum," I said slowly, "is that an owl?"

Without waiting for her response, I ran to window, opening the small latch at the bottom. The strange owl flew in, dropped the note in my hand, and flew out again. With the girls shouting at me to read the note, I peered down at the tiny scrap of paper in my hands. The handwriting was sloppy and rushed, and I instantly recognized it as Dad's.

"It's from Dad!" I exclaimed.

"Read it!" Ginny urged impatiently.

I obediently looked down, reading the note over and over again until I was sure the words were true and not my mind playing a cruel joke on me.

_Harry's alive! _Dad had quickly written. _I'll send more news later. _

"He's alive," I breathed, handing Hermione the note. Ginny squealed with delight, jumping up and down like a four year old. Hermione sank into the nearest seat, relief washing over her face.

"What else does it say?" Mum demanded, hurrying forward.

"That's it," I told them, "he'll send more news later."

"Well," Hermione said optimistically, "that's good enough! Now, we know that Harry's alive and well!"

Ginny grinned, plopping down next to Hermione. I couldn't help but smile at my best friend and my little sister, the two of them grinning stupidly at one another. It had been ages since I'd seen them smile, and I mean truly smile. The kind of smile that lights up your whole face and makes your eyes shine.

"He's alive," I agreed.

"I think this calls for a bit of a celebration!" Mum cheered, waving her wand. Four butterbeers zoomed into the room, landing neatly on the table. I grabbed the one nearest to me.

"To Harry!" Hermione beamed, holding up her butterbeer.

"To Harry!" we all chorused back, holding up our drinks.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

The tall, dark man stared me, horrified.

"'Arry, you know you are, don't you?" he finally asked.

I pulled away from his tightening grip. "I'm sorry, sir, but you have the wrong bloke," I told him impatiently, my English accent fading in and out. Again, I was puzzled by sudden accent. It flowed into the conversation so naturally that one would think I was a British man.

"It's me! Kingsley! You remember, don't you, Harry?" he asked, his voice low. He peeked over my head, scanning the crowds around me.

Merlin's pants! I was beginning to get annoyed with this man. "I've told you, sir, my name is Henry Porter. I don't know who this Harry fellow is, but it's not me."

Kingsley looked at me grimly. "I'm really sorry about this, Harry," he said.

"Sorry about what?" I asked, confused.

Kingsley sighed, nodding at something (or someone?) behind me. Suddenly, everything went dark, and the last thing I saw was Kingsley's apologetic face as he watched me go down.

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

* * *

Hermione and Ginny sat snuggled on the couch, drifting in and out of sleep. Mum was sweeping the floor, trying to busy herself with any work she could find. I sat on the armchair, frozen. It was nearly four in the morning, and we had been up nearly all night, waiting for more letters from Dad. Anything to let us know what was going on would have been fine, but there was nothing.

It seemed as if time went by even slower, dragging itself out purposefully. Every once in a while, I would glance at the clock, hoping Dad would just hurry up and tell us what was going on. Mum kept glancing outside, hoping to see an owl flapping toward the window, but the sky was completely clear. After a while, I went over to sit next to Hermione, comforted by her presence. When she noticed I was there, she gently rested her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes and drifting into a light sleep. I could feel her wake up now and then, but she would quickly fall back asleep when she realized there was no more news of Harry. After some time, Ginny sat up, her eyes wide. She kept playing with her hands nervously, fidgeting them restlessly. Normally, this would annoy me, and Hermione's head on my shoulder would have been strange, but under the circumstances, everything seemed different. Ginny was less annoying, and I didn't mind her hanging around quite as much. But what really struck me was how much closer Hermione and I had grown. Normally, without Harry, we would constantly fight, and anything more than a quick hug would have been very awkward. Now, though, we seemed to be working better together, and it comforted me to have her so close, and I think I comforted her too.

"It's an owl!" Ginny gasped, jumping up.

She opened the latch to the window and the owl came zooming in, dropping a note on my lap.

"Who's it from?" Hermione yawned, waking up.

"Dad again," I told them, unrolling the tiny scroll of parchment.

"Well, what does it say?" Ginny demanded impatiently.

I looked down and read the letter aloud. "Erm..._Ron, you and the others get dressed quickly. Tonks should be there in a moment to escort you to St. Mungo's. The healers have finally finished up with Harry, and they're letting us see him. Kingsley pulled some strings, and they're letting you lot see Harry even though it's not visiting hours, so hurry! See you soon,_ Dad."

Before I even had time to put the letter down, the others were already pulling their jackets and shoes on. Mum handed Ginny her jumper, and for the first time in hours, the two of them grinned at each other. I noticed Hermione watching me, her smile wider and more genuine than it had been in months.

"It's really happening?" she whispered, "They've really found him?"

"When do you reckon Tonks will be here?" Ginny asked, pulling on her shoes.

"Right now!" said a cheerful voice coming from the kitchen. A thin witch, this time with light, blonde curls came striding in, beaming at us.

"Tonks!" Ginny exclaimed. "Have you seen Harry yet? How is he?"

"Oh, he's not hurt is he?" Mum worried.

"He must be!" Hermione gasped. "The healers were with him for _hours_!"

Tonks bit her lip, looking conflicted.

"What is it?" I demanded a little rudely.

"I think you lot should talk to Arthur...I think he wants to be the one to explain it all..." Tonks said more to herself than to us.

"Explain what?" Mum demanded sharply. I blinked. This was the first time I had ever heard Mum sound even slightly rude to Tonks.

"Arthur will explain, Molly," Tonks said placidly, forcing smile.

"Tonks, he's alright, though. Can you at least tell us that?" Hermione pleaded, her eyes wide with fear.

Tonks smiled grimly. "That depends on what you mean by _alright_."

Mum clucked her tongue impatiently, but she knew that Tonks was probably just following the directions of the Order.

"Well, let's go then," Ginny said impatiently, ushering all of us out. I kept pace with Tonks who led our little group to the end of the field.

"Normally, we would use floo powder, but St. Mungo's wouldn't permit us to use their network. Bloody fools. Either way, Dumbledore reckons we should apparate," Tonks explained, coming to a sudden halt. I felt a twinge of excitement. I had never apparated before!

"How do you do it?" I said, preparing myself.

Tonks laughed. "I meant side-along apparation. Sorry, Ron."

I was slightly disappointed, but relieved nonetheless. Knowing me, I'd probably end up somewhere in the middle of Egypt.

"Molly, I'll take Hermione and you take Ron and Ginny," Tonks instructed. Nodding, Mum grabbed my arm, and before I knew what was happening, my whole world was spinning. I felt as if my body were being pulled through a tube, and I couldn't breath. And just as suddenly as the sensation began, it had also ended. One second I was standing in the middle of a field, overlooking the Burrow, and then the next, I was standing in the middle of London in a dark alley.

"I don't think I like that very much," Hermione said, rubbing her stomach.

Ginny nodded. "Me either."

Tonks smiled. "You'll get used to it. Well, come on then!" she said, leading us out of the dark alley. I followed her and Mum as they led us to the familiar store with the ugly mannequins. I followed them numbly as we walked through the glass and into the reception.

Instead of waiting in line like last time, Tonks led us importantly to the elevators. She and Mum watched us like a hawk, making sure we didn't stray, making sure nobody suspicious was lurking nearby. I didn't understand why we needed all this protection. Normally, the only reason we needed all these guards and precautions was because of Harry.

"Tonks," I said slowly, "no offense, but why did you need to come pick us up?" I asked.

She smiled at me. "Your Harry's family, aren't you?"

"Of course we are," Mum said tartly.

Tonks nodded. "That's why."

I frowned, still confused. Sure, Harry was like one of the family, but that didn't explain why we needed protection from the Order.

Hermione rolled her eyes at me, though. "Oh, honestly, Ron," she grumbled, "what's the ultimate way to hurt Harry? It's to hurt the ones he loves. You-Know-Who knows that."

Comprehension dawned on my face, and I didn't even care that Hermione was shaking her head at me like I was some silly child. I knew the reason she was being so uptight and snobby was because she was nervous and scared.

"Besides," Mum added, "we still don't know who took Harry and why. There's still that threat out there."

"What do you mean we don't know? It's obvious it was You-Know-Who," I said, confused.

Ginny, who hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation, looked up at me. "I'm sure Harry will tell us everything once he's well enough," she said confidently. Hermione nodded fervently, but I frowned, noticing Tonks' smile harden.

The elevator doors opened, and we followed as Tonks led us through the empty corridors. At the end of the hallway, Dad was standing by a door, pacing nervously. I pushed Mum and Tonks aside, sprinting towards Dad.

"Is he in there?" I demanded, attempting to push past Dad, but he held me back.

"Ron, there's something we need to talk about first," he said sharply.

"We can talk in a second. I wanna see Harry," I snapped, shrugging off his grip. I ran into the the room, ignoring as he shouted after me. I heard the girls arguing as Dad held them back.

Upon seeing me burst into the room, Harry glanced up at me. He stared blankly at me, looking slightly confused at all the commotion going on outside. I gasped at his appearance. Harry had always been skinny, but he had lost so much weight that his skin clung to his bones, all pale and sallow. There were bags under his eyes, making it look like he hadn't slept in days. His usual round glasses had been replaced by large, square spectacles. But the biggest change was his hair; his dark black hair had been dyed to a light blonde, strangely resembling Malfoy's disgusting shade. It was just unnatural.

But he was safe. And alive. There weren't any scratches or bruises scarring his body. He looked thin, but a week at the Burrow under Mum's care, and he'd be perfectly healthy once again. And that was all we had been hoping for.

"Well, mate," I finally said, grinning, "I gotta say, I'm not a big fan of the hair."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, frowning, "Do I know you?"

I snorted, amused. "Mate, you're so out of it. Can't even recognize your best friend!"

"Ron, come on," Dad whispered, taking my arm. I was surprised to find him beside me; I hadn't even noticed him come in.

"Dad, what potions did they give him? He's so loopy!" I laughed. "He can hardly remember my name."

"Ron," Dad muttered, "that's not the reason he can't remember you."

Frowning, I looked over at him. Behind him, Mum was standing in the doorway, peering at Harry, looking horrified. Ginny was hugging Hermione, who was silently crying in her arms. Tonks was watching Hermione pityingly, tears running down her own cheeks.

"Come on," Dad said quietly, pulling me out of the room.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

"He's..he's lost his memory, Ron," Hermione managed to choke out. I felt my insides go cold as I stared at Hermione's helpless face.

"There must be a way to make him remember," Ginny said confidently, looking hopefully at Dad.

I shook my head hopelessly. Hermione and I exchanged worried looks, and one look at her face, and I knew she was thinking the exact same thing as me.

"Remember Lockhart?" she whispered.


	5. Recovering Memories

**Chapter Five:**

**Recovering Memories**

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

I pulled on my robe lazily, slipping down the stairs quietly, afraid I might wake up Ginny and the others. As I quietly tiptoed down the stairs, my mind began to wander over the day's events. I flinched, remembering my visit to see Harry. He had looked at me blankly, no wave of emotion at all as he stared into my face, trying his hardest to remember me.

As I stepped into the kitchen, I was surprised to find Ron and Lupin sitting together, talking in quiet whispers.

"What's going on?" I asked suspiciously.

Lupin looked up at me sadly. "Nothing. We were just talking."

"About Harry?" I guessed.

Ron slumped back in his seat, groaning in frustration.

"He'll remember," I assured him, already knowing the source of his anger.

"How can you be so sure?" Ron demanded.

I stared at him. "Because I have faith in Harry. He's never let us down before, has he?"

"How did this even happen?" he groaned, turning back to face Lupin.

Lupin looked at us grimly. "That's just it. We have no idea. There's a countless number of possibilities, and Dumbledore has his ideas, but they're just that- _ideas_."

I shook my head, exasperated at Lupin's lack of faith. "Aren't you the one that's always telling us to have faith in Dumbledore? That his hunches are so much more than just hunches? That if anyone can stop all this madness, it's him?"

Lupin nodded. "Albus does have quite the extraordinary mind."

Ron snorted. "The bloke's a bloody genius."

"It's just hard to have faith when Harry's so lost..." Lupin said, looking like the picture of a broken man. He had lost all of his family and now all of his best friends, and now the only link he had to them was in St. Mungo's unable to recall his own name.

What scared me, though, was that Lupin was allowing us to see his vulnerability. In all the time I'd known him, despite all the obstacles his werewolf life had thrown at him, Lupin always remained optimistic. And if he wasn't, he never let us see it.

I plopped down beside Ron, peering pleadingly at Lupin. "Oh, Lupin, isn't there anything you can tell us?"

"Yeah," Ron piped up, "Harry's our best friend. He's practically family. If anybody has a right to know, it's us!"

Lupin hesitated, studying our desperate faces.

"Here's the thing," he finally said, "there's not much _to _tell."

"Do you know who took him?" Ron asked at once.

Lupin bit his lip. "Well, our most obvious guess would be Voldemort, but then why didn't he kill Harry when he got the chance? I mean, it's what he's been trying to do for the past sixteen years."

"Maybe Harry escaped!" I suggested, knowing full well Harry had a knack for getting out of sticky situations.

Lupin nodded. "It's possible. But then we also have to ask ourselves_, how did he lose his memory_?"

"It could just have been an accident," I said rationally, "I mean, think off all the falls Harry's taken over the years."

"I always knew Harry would lose his marbles one of these days, but I thought it would be years from now."

I threw Ron a dirty look. "That's not funny, Ron."

Ron ignored me, his mind racing. "You know, Hermione, maybe you're right. I mean, Harry probably just escaped before they could do anything, and during his escape, something must have happened to make him lose his memories."

"Like a backfired spell?" I asked, thinking of Professor Lockhart.

"Yeah...or like you said, he could have just fallen..." he replied thoughtfully.

Lupin was listening to us patiently, smiling sadly.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"When we first found him, Harry thought his name was Henry Porter. He thought he was an American from Chicago, who had just moved to New York for work."

I gasped. "Somebody modified his memory?"

Lupin nodded grimly. "That means somebody _wanted _Harry to lose his memory. There must be something Harry saw that they don't want us to know about. Or Harry losing his memory could be part of a much bigger plan. And somebody went through hell of a lot to make sure everything followed through."

"But who would do that?" Ron asked, thunderstruck.

"But most importantly, _why_?" Lupin asked us, looking carefully at me and Ron, challenging us to answer. It almost felt like we were back at school in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and it was just another puzzle or question we were supposed to solve for class. Except this time, none of us knew the answer, not even the teacher.

* * *

**Ginny Weasley **

* * *

As soon as Hermione quietly closed the door behind her, I sat up, relieved to be alone again. It's not that I didn't enjoy Hermione's company, but I desperately needed to be alone. I had been lying in bed, pretending to sleep for hours so that Hermione wouldn't be grilling me about today. We had all been allowed to see Harry, and while Ron and Hermione were more than happy to introduce themselves to Harry, I didn't have the courage. I felt ashamed to be a Gryffindor; I didn't deserve to in a House destined for brave and daring people, not when I didn't even have the courage face Harry.

I had watched him as Ron and Hermione had painfully reintroduced themselves to their best friend. I had watched Harry's blank face stare up at them, trying his hardest to remember, but there wasn't a single note of recognition in his face. I had witnessed from the doorway as Ron and Hermione told stories, attempting to trigger any possible memory they could, no matter how small.

Mum and Tonks had tried to push me into going into the room and "meeting" Harry, but I couldn't bear to have Harry stare up at me blankly. Besides, I didn't want to ruin Ron and Hermione's reunion with him. As much as I tried to include myself in Harry's life, it was Ron and Hermione who were his best friends. They were the ones that shared inside jokes with him, they were the ones who knew all his secrets, they were the ones Harry took on his adventures to save the world. He shared a special bond with Ron and Hermione. He loved them more than anything else in the world. Where areas, I was just his best friend's little sister.

Hermione, noticing I wasn't sitting beside her as she tried to recover Harry's memories, ushered me forward, but I shook my head, backing away into the shadows before Harry could see me. I had muttered a lame excuse about getting some tea, and I took off for the elevator, not even bothering to look back to see if they had heard me.

After a few hours at St. Mungo's, the Healers had told us we needed to leave, because Harry needed his rest. We came back during visiting hours, but Harry had been fast asleep the entire day, and he didn't even realize I was sitting at his bedside, staring down fearfully at his face. The entire day, Hermione kept pestering me, wondering why I hadn't come see Harry the night before, but I had ignored her most of the day. When visiting hours were over again and we were forced to leave, I had sworn that the next day, if Harry was awake, I would introduce myself to him.

I knew not to expect any miracles to happen. If Harry were to remember anyone, it would most certainly not be me. It would probably be Ron...or Sirius! _He'd probably remember Sirius_, I thought sadly, remembering the beaming face of Sirius Black. It had broken my heart to lose Sirius, so I couldn't possibly imagine how much hurt Harry had been going through. I bit my lip, worried that someday he would remember Sirius again, and all the pain and hurt that he had felt before would come back in full force.

In the distance, I heard soft foot steps as Hermione came back up. Feigning sleep, I pulled my covers over me, hoping Hermione wouldn't notice I was awake. Thankfully, she climbed back into her own bed, too preoccupied with her own thoughts.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I sat up, stunned at the pile of goods sitting at the foot of my bed. Witches and wizards from all over the world had been sending me get-well presents. It seemed that everyday the pile of candies and flowers grew. Thankfully, Mrs. Weasley had volunteered to take some of the candies and gifts home with her. I allowed her to take everything except the letters. I wanted to read every single letter in hopes that they would contain something to help trigger my memory.

A young healer with a kind smile trudged inside holding a basket full of letters.

"You've got more letters, Mr. Potter!" she exclaimed cheerfully. I watched her carefully place the letters on my nightstand, wondering what I could have possibly done to earn so much attention from the wizarding community

"Harry, you're awake today!" Hermione squealed, bouncing into the room.

"How you feeling, mate?" Ron asked as he carelessly flopped onto the nearest chair.

"Good," I replied politely. Even though everybody kept telling me these two were my best friends, I still had a hard time feeling comfortable around them. Sure, they were nice enough people, but they were like complete strangers to me.

"...Dumbledore's letting you come home with us," Ron was saying excitedly.

"Home?" I frowned, wondering where that could possibly be.

"Yeah, to the Burrow," Ron told me.

"The Burrow?"

"The Burrow is Ron's house. You usually stay with him during the summer," Hermione explained patiently.

"Don't I have my own family?" I asked quietly. A few days ago, Lupin and Dumbledore had explained to me about magic. They'd told me all about how my parents died at the hands of Voldemort, but because of my mother's sacrifice, I had survived. It all came as a blow to me, especially considering the fact that I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that magic actually exists.

"You know about your parents, Harry," Hermione said quietly, reminding me of my horrible past.

"But I must have some sort of relatives...grandparents? Aunts? Uncles?" I pressed on.

Ron and Hermione exchanged dark looks.

"You have an aunt and uncle," Ron said slowly, "but they're prats."

"Ron!" Hermione snapped, throwing him a furious look.

"We don't get along?" I asked glumly, devastated that the only connection I had to my parents was probably lost.

"Like I said," Ron told me, "they're arseholes. You're better off without them. But don't worry. We'll have fun at the Burrow. Bill..he's my brother...is back from Egypt! And he's getting married to Fleur! Do you remember her, Harry? She was in the Triwizard Tournament with you. And she was bloody fit too."

Hermione had crossed her arms, annoyed.

"Hermione doesn't like Fleur much. As a matter of fact, Mum and Ginny don't like her that much either. But she's not that bad, really," Ron told me, rolling his eyes at Hermione's frigidness.

"_Anyway,_" Hermione said loudly, clearing her throat, "I brought you a gift, Harry." Blushing, she handed me a frame. It contained a picture of the three of us laughing, not realizing our photograph was being taken. "That was taken after a D.A. meeting," she told me, smiling.

I stared down at the bloke with black hair and startling green eyes. He wore black robes and round glasses. What shocked me wasn't the fact that the picture was moving, it was the fact that I couldn't even recognize myself. I couldn't even remember ever having dark hair or round glasses.

"That's me?" I asked, staring at the unrecognizable person in the picture.

"I told you," Ron said, his mouth full of chocolates, "blonde's really not your color.

I looked down at the picture again, frowning at the bloke who laughed and smiled so easily. With a bitter resentment, I realized that he was no longer me. This person had friends whom loved him; he shared inside jokes and memories with these people; he had an entire life. He had an entire magical community that respected and, judging from the letters, loved him. And here I was, unable to even hold a bloody wand or recognize the beaming faces of my supposed best friends. In truth, I didn't feel like Harry Potter. I felt like some stranger borrowing his body.

"You don't like it?" Hermione asked meekly, noticing my hard face. I was learning that this girl was very observant. It'd be hard to get anything past her.

"No, I-" I looked up from the picture, stopping mid-sentence once I spotted a girl standing in the doorway. She had fiery red her and was watching me nervously, her light brown eyes piercing into mine.

"Ginny," I whispered as memories of this girl suddenly came back to me in flashes. I remembered her sad smile, wishing me "good luck" as I hurtled toward a brick barrier. I remembered her angry face, her jaw set as she glared at me in the midst of the woods as skeletal horse-like creatures began surrounding us. I remembered her laughing as she danced in the middle of the kitchen with the two twin boys who came to see me earlier, the three of them chanting something. I remembered her determined demeanor as she held her wand firmly in her hand, a glowing silver horse erupting from it. I remembered her excited laugh as she cheered loudly in the stands, covered in Irish clothing. I remembered her lifeless body lying in a sinister chamber, her face pale and weak.

"Ginny," I repeated, "it's good to see you."

Ron and Hermione stared at me, stunned, but my eyes sought Ginny's shocked face.

"I-I remember you," I said quietly, watching as her look of surprise was replaced by a wide grin that I remembered only all too well.

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

Ron and I stood side-by-side, watching Harry and Ginny. Harry was propped up on his bed, listening intently as Ginny spoke. A small smile was playing at his face, and not the kind of forced smiles he'd been giving us, but a real smile; one that made his whole face light up and his eyes sparkle.

"I can't believe he remembers her," Ron muttered.

"I guess they were closer than we thought..." I whispered back, relieved that Harry had gotten some memories back. But something was bothering me...While I knew Ginny had always been taken with Harry, I'd thought she'd moved on to Dean. However, the moment I saw that smile spread across her face when Harry recognized her, I knew that she wasn't really over him. It was just something she had told herself so much that she'd actually started to believe it. I had always been suspicious, but my theories were now confirmed as I watched the two of them talking animately, laughing and smiling.

But now I wondered about Harry. Before he lost his memory, he and Cho had been having problems. I'd just brushed it off, thinking it was because of Cho's insensitivity and neediness. Now, though, I was starting to think that maybe just maybe it had less to do with Cho and more to do with Ginny. I knew she and Harry had been writing to each other over break...maybe Harry was finally starting to return Ginny's feelings for him.

Still, though, a little crush wouldn't be the thing to trigger Harry's memory. There had to be something else, something more powerful...

"What are you thinking about?" Ron asked, watching me.

"I was just wondering what on earth about Ginny had triggered Harry's memory."

Ron nodded. "I was thinking about that too."

"And?"

"I'm guessing it had something to do with the Chamber of Secrets...I mean, that was pretty traumatizing for them. It must have been a powerful enough of event."

"I don't think so," I said slowly, "Harry's been through loads of traumatizing experiences. Why would the Chamber of Secrets stand out?"

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe because they were both so young when it happened?"

"Harry was really young when his parents died...and when he had to face Quirrel in his first year," I pointed out.

Ron glared at me, annoyed. "I don't see _you _coming up with any ideas."

I sighed. "That's because I can't. Unless..."

"What?"

"Do you think Harry might...you know..._love _Ginny?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Of course he loves Ginny. She's like his little sister. But that doesn't explain anything."

I shook my head. "No, I meant...do you think Harry might be _in _love with Ginny?"

* * *

When we arrived back at the Burrow, Lupin and Tonks were there. Ron and I walked into the sitting room to find the two of them immersed in an intense conversation.

"Lupin, Tonks, hi," I said uncertainly, unsure as to whether we should back out.

Ron, who was oblivious to most things, grinned eagerly at the sight of Lupin.

"Any more news?" he asked Lupin.

Lupin, looking relieved to see us, shook his head. "We're still just going off of guesses and hunches. I'm sure Dumbledore will figure it all out in time."

I turned my focus to Tonks, who looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Tonks," I said cautiously, "are you alright?"

She blinked, forcing a smile. "Brilliant! But I really should get going," she squeaked out before hurrying out of the room.

"Is she okay?" Ron asked, frowning after Tonks.

Lupin shrugged. "She'll be fine. Anyway, I really wanted to talk to the two of you."

"Did you hear!" I exclaimed eagerly, forgetting about Tonks. "Harry remembers Ginny!"

"Yeah, I heard," Lupin said, a small smile creeping on his face.

"What did you want to talk to us about?" Ron inquired.

"It's about Harry's memory," he said, sitting down.

"We're trying everything to bring back his memory," I informed him, "we tell him stories, show him pictures...we're even considering hypnosis."

Ron shook his head, rolling his eyes at the idea of hypnosis. Usually, I would find the idea of hypnosis ridiculous, but anything that would help was worth a try.

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" I snapped.

"No, it's not," Lupin said firmly.

I frowned. "Why?"

"We don't want you to force Harry's memories to come out. Dumbledore wants Harry to get his memories back naturally."

I opened and closed my mouth, outraged.

"But he _has _to remember!" Ron exclaimed.

Lupin raised his eyebrows. "We have no idea what Harry went through in the past month. Ron, they might have tortured him. Maybe they even tortured him to the point he lost his memory. Who knows. What we do know, though, is that whatever Harry went through must not have been easy."

"And you don't want him to remember?" I concluded furiously.

"Not yet, at least," Lupin amended.

"That's not fair," I told him angrily, "Harry has a right to earn his memory back."

"And he will," Lupin assured me, "but not when it's forced upon him. When he gets his memory back, it'll come back naturally. We don't want anything to shock him and make things worse."

I crossed my arms, unconvinced.

"It's what Dumbledore wants," Lupin told me gently, "and Dumbledore wants the best for Harry."

Ron and I exchanged looks.

"Fine," Ron sighed, defeated.

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

* * *

Over the next week, many people came to visit Harry. We'd hoped that since he remembered Ginny, his memory would slowly come back; but there was no progress whatsoever. Not when the twins came to visit. Not when Bill and Fleur visited. Not when Hagrid visited. Not when Cho visited. Each time somebody came to see Harry, we'd all watched hopefully, waiting for some form or recognition; but Harry just stared at them blankly as if they were complete strangers to him. Well, in a way they were, but still.

Everybody did what Dumbledore told us to do, and we stopped trying to force memories on Harry. But it was getting harder to do, especially since Harry seemed to be growing apart from us all. Well, except Ginny. Everyday, those two seemed to grow closer and closer. Still, the little progress Harry made was starting to make all of us a bit nervous.

Hermione was the worst, though. She was growing more and more anxious everyday, but she was nothing compared to Harry. I could see his frustration growing, but just like in Harry fashion, he bottled it all up.

"You know," I said over breakfast one morning, "Harry hasn't really changed much. He still holds everything in just like he did before he lost his memory."

Hermione nodded. "It's only a matter of time before he snaps."

"What do you mean?" Bill frowned.

"Harry tends to hold things," Hermione informed him.

"Remember last year?" I shuddered, remembering the many times last year that Harry snapped at us for no reason.

Ginny frowned. "Well, that's not fair. Last year, Harry was tapping into You-Know-Who's emotions."

"Still," Hermione said, "you can't deny that Harry has a bit of a temper."

Fleur scoffed. "Ee does not! 'Arry saved mine and Gabrielle's life! Ee is an 'ero!"

I bit back a laugh, watching Ginny and Hermione exchange annoyed looks.

"We understand Harry's a hero," Ginny said through gritted teeth, "but that doesn't mean he doesn't hold things in."

"We really have to watch what we say around him," Hermione remarked wisely, "we don't want to set him off."

Ginny frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" I asked. Hermione and I had always avoided anything that might upset Harry. He had a hard enough life without us pestering him about things that upset him. And when we did have to talk to him about something, we always approached him very carefully. I remembered the whole D.A. fiasco of last year. When Hermione first brought it up, Harry went mad; but over time, Hermione warmed him up to the idea.

"Well, I think that it's not good for him to have so much bottled up frustration. It'd be best when he snaps and lets it all out," Ginny explained.

Hermione considered this. "You think so?"

"I mean, we don't have to provoke him or anything," Ginny said, "but the sooner he lets it all out, the better."

Bill narrowed his eyes at Ginny. "Since when do you know Harry so well?"

"Since I'm the only one he confides in," she said.

I glared at her, annoyed. As glad as I was that Harry had remembered something, it was frustrating that he no longer confided in me. I use to be the person Harry came to about everything, but now he only talked to Ginny.

"Yeah, about that," Charlie said suspiciously, "when did you and Harry get so close?"

"Whatever happened to that Dean bloke, anyway," Bill demanded.

"What do you mean what happened to him? He's at his house with his parents."

"Why did you guys break up?" Charlie wondered.

Ginny stared at him. "Dean and I are still together. He writes to me everyday."

"What about Harry?" Bill asked.

"Bill," Fleur said, "Ginny and 'Arry are not together."

"But-" Bill began.

"I was eleven!" Ginny shouted, torn between annoyance and amusement. "When are you going to let that go? I had a stupid crush on him when I was eleven! We're friends now. Merlin!"

I narrowed my eyes at her suspiciously. "Well," I finally said, wagging my finger at her, "I don't like all this bouncing around between blokes."

Ginny turned to me, giving me her most filthy look. "Don't think that I won't hesitate to hex you just because we're not at school," she hissed.

Hermione snorted, giving me a _you-deserved-that _look.

"Hey, where's Fred and George?" Charlie wondered, looking around.

Bill frowned. "Yeah, they haven't really been around this summer."

"That's because we've been looking for Dung all this time," George explained, striding into the kitchen, Fred following behind him.

"What do you want with him?" I snarled. I'd always liked Mundugus'- he was always a laugh- but ever since he abandoned Harry (twice, actually) I couldn't shake off my anger with him. And I wasn't the only one. When George mentioned Mundugus' name, everybody at the table looked up in disgust.

"He owes us some money," Fred said, "but nobody's seen him since the night Harry disappeared."

"He's probably scared Lupin will beat him up," Ginny said rationally. I nodded in agreement, remembering how Lupin trembled in anger every time Dung's name came up.

"Still, nobody's seen him in over a month," Bill said seriously, looking concerned.

George shrugged. "That prat's probably hiding somewhere scared."

"Filthy prick," Fred said in disgust.

"Still," Bill said, "we should probably report this to Dumbledore.

"Morning!" Dad exclaimed, bouncing into the kitchen, interrupting our conversation.

"What's got _you_ so chipper?" Charlie wondered, raising his eyebrows.

"I just got an owl from Albus," Dad told us, grinning, "and they're finally letting Harry come home with us!"

* * *

Hermione and I squished into an armchair together, watching Harry pack.

"Aren't you happy to be leaving this place?" Hermione remarked encouragingly, gesturing to the blank walls of St. Mungo's.

"Yeah, I reckon so," Harry mumbled back a reply, his back to us.

"Something the matter, mate?" I asked.

Harry paused, turning to face us. "Who's Peter Pettigrew?" he asked.

Hermione frowned. "What makes you ask that?

"I heard Mad-Eye say his name, and I was just wondering who he was. His name sounds familiar."

I opened my mouth to explain, but Hermione pinched me, giving me a hard look.

"You know that Dumbledore doesn't want us forcing unnecessary information down your throat," Hermione told him sternly.

Harry glared at us. "Well, then he must be important, right? If you don't want me knowing him, then he must mean something to me."

"Not necessarily," Hermione said meekly, afraid she had just given away vital information.

"Well, then you can tell me," he persisted.

"Sorry, mate," I shook my head.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, you'll remember him eventually."

Harry slammed his fists against the wall, making Hermione jump in fear.

"So, you'll give me statistics about your bloody Chudley Cannons, but when I ask you a simple question that I actually care about, you refuse to tell me anything?"

"We can't tell you that," Hermione squeaked, clutching me for support.

"And who are you guys to tell me what I can and can't know about my own life?" Harry roared.

Ginny came running inside, looking alarmed.

"Bloody hell, Harry," I muttered, covering my ears.

"What in the world is going on here?" Ginny demanded, glaring at me and Hermione accusingly.

"Who's Peter Pettigrew?" Harry asked her.

Ginny blinked, surprised. "I don't really know much about him...Harry! Do you remember something about him?" she asked eagerly, looking delighted.

"No. That's why I'm asking," he snarled at her.

She raised her eyebrows. "I told you, I don't know much about him," she responded coolly, "there's no need for you yell at me."

"But you know something!" he pressed on furiously.

Ginny crossed her arms. "Maybe I do, but do you really expect me to tell you when you're yelling at me like that? You're being rude."

Hermione and I exchanged looks, knowing that Harry was on the brink of exploding. He'd been holding in his frustrations for weeks, and at any moment he was about to let it all out.

"_I_'_m_ rude?" Harry laughed humorlessly, "you guys are the ones who refuse to tell me anything about my life!"

"We're protecting you," Ginny replied sharply.

"I DON'T NEED YOUR PROTECTION!" he roared.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed.

"I need answers!" Harry demanded, looking around madly at all of us.

"You need to understand-" Hermione began.

"I DON'T NEED TO UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!"

Ginny stepped back. I glanced at her, expecting her to look as nervous as Hermione, but to my surprise, she looked slightly annoyed.

"Don't yell at Hermione like that!" we snapped at the same time.

"I can yell at her if I want! Okay, none of you understand what I'm going through."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Maybe we would if you actually told us what was bothering you."

Harry laughed coldly. "You want to know what's bothering me? How about the fact that I don't have any parents and a raving lunatic wants to kill me. Or the fact that I just discovered I'm a bloody wizard. Or the fact that my only relatives hate my guts. Or the fact that I can't remember a single bloody memory about my entire life! It's like I don't even exist. It's like I'm expected to be this great Harry Potter, but I have no idea how to be him! I don't even know who he is anymore."

Ginny carefully stepped forward, eyeing Harry warily. "We don't expect anything of you. We just want you to get better," she told him gently.

"The hell you don't. I'm supposed to be the 'chosen one.' I'm supposed to be 'the boy who lived.' I'm supposed to be this amazing wizard whose made all of these accomplishments, and I can't even remember how I did them. I don't even remember the way I looked a month ago! I'm not that person anymore! I'm not Harry Potter. I'm a completely different person, a stranger. I don't' even wear the same glasses as Harry Potter."

I glanced at his rectangular spectacles, remembering how the old ones were black and round. In fact, the first time I met him, he had taped it together. It's amazing how things changed. How Harry couldn't even recall something as little and insignificant as that.

We all looked around at each other, Harry breathing heavily. But to my delight, Harry didn't look as frustrated and annoyed anymore. He looked relieved.


	6. The Glasses

**Chapter Six:**

**The Glasses**

* * *

**Ginny Weasley **

* * *

I never liked hospitals much. The smell, the bad tea, the atmosphere of worry and confusion all made me uncomfortable. That's why I was glad Harry was finally coming home today. After his little break down yesterday, the Healers thought it was best for him to stay one more night. Besides, we only had a few more weeks until school began, and we needed Harry to start getting his memory back and fast. Our theory was that that would happen best if he was in a comfortable environment surrounded by his friends.

"Yes, dear, how can I help you?" a bored looking witch asked me behind the counter. I had been waiting in line for ages while Ron and Hermione stayed with Harry.

"Is there a package for Harry Potter?" I asked, "I ordered him something last night and they said they would send it here..."

"Potter, Harry..." the woman muttered, her fingers trailing down a list of names. "Ah, yes...Reggie, package for Potter, Harry!"

I waited patiently while security scanned the small box. I barely even noticed a small tap on my shoulder.

"Cho?" I gasped, my eyes widening. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard Harry was getting released," she said, "and I wanted to come see him one more time."

I smiled. "Well, he's up in his room. We're taking him home in a few hours."

She nodded. "Well, that's nice."

"I didn't realize you were coming in today," I said, attempting to make small-talk.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I'm his _girlfriend. _He may not remember yet, but when he does, I'm sure we'll be just as happy as we were before."

"I didn't mean to offend you," I said quickly, my eyes widening.

"Just because he remembers you, it doesn't mean you have some sort of claim over him. He'll remember the rest of us soon enough!"

I put my hands on my hips. "I never said I had a claim over him."

"I know you fancy him. Everybody's told me."

"I was eleven!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "Merlin, you people are never gonna let that go, are you?"

Cho sighed, rubbing her temples. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you...it's just so frustrating..."

"It's fine," I replied coolly as the lady behind the counter returned.

"I'm going to need you to sign a few forms," she informed me.

"I should go up," Cho muttered as the receptionist handed me a quill. I watched her walk toward the elevators, her long dark hair swishing behind her.

As I was handed the small package, I reconsidered going up to see Harry while Cho was still there. Hermione and I tried our hardest to be nice to Cho, but we both knew that she wasn't right for Harry. Even Ron, the oblivious buffoon that he was, could see that they weren't compatible.

So, instead, I tucked the package in my bag, and headed for the tea room. I took my sweet time there, waiting until I thought it was safe to come up. As I turned into the corridor that lead to Harry's room, I spotted Ron and Hermione. They had their ears pressed to Harry's door.

"What are you guys doing?" I demanded, making both of them jump.

"Bloody hell, Ginny, you're like a bloody ghost sneaking up on people like that," Ron said.

"Were you eavesdropping on Harry and Cho?" I asked.

Ron and Hermione exchanged guilty looks.

"Well, things _have _been a bit dull lately," he mumbled, "what with Harry not off getting into danger every five seconds."

"Yes, because your best friend losing his memory is just so dull and unexciting," I said sarcastically.

"Anyway," Ron said loudly, "the Harry/Cho drama is kinda entertaining..."

Hermione and I stared at Ron.

"So, let me get this straight," I said slowly, "you're eavesdropping on Harry because his life's pain and misery brings you some kind of twisted pleasure?"

Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe what an idiot you are."

"And why were _you _eavesdropping!" Ron demanded, turning to Hermione.

"Because I was actually concerned about Harry. I didn't want Cho stressing him out even more."

Ron crossed his arms. "All I'm saying is that I wish something exciting would happen."

Hermione ignored Ron and turned to me. "It looks like Harry was about to break up with Cho."

My eyes widened, but for some strange reason, I felt a tiny bit of pleasure at hearing the news.

Hermione was watching me carefully, awaiting my reaction to the new information.

"Well," I finally said, "that's Harry's business. And we shouldn't get into it if he doesn't want us."

Hermione nodded dejectedly. "You're right."

"But then again," I said, pulling out extendable ears from my bag, "since when have any of us ever minded our own business."

Hermione grinned, snatching the extendable ears from my bag. I tossed one to Ron, and took one for myself, pulling the ear against mine.

_"...just don't feel comfortable being in a relationship with somebody I don't know," Harry muttered. _

_"But you do know me!" Cho cried. _

_"But I don't actually. Cho, you seem like a very nice girl, but I have no idea who you are. I have no idea who anyone is. I just need to be alone right now. I need to find out who I am before I begin any relationships."_

_"I just can't believe any of this is happening," Cho whispered._

_"I'm so sorry," Harry said softly. _

_"No, it's fine...I-I understand...__It doesn't make it any easier, though," she mumbled, "I just wish things weren't this way."_

_"Yeah, me too," Harry said, sounding a little bitter._

_Cho sniffled. "Harry, I-I love you."_

_There was a long pause in which I only assumed Harry was taking in this new bit of information. I, too, blinked several times, stunned at this new relevation. I had no idea Cho and Harry had been so serious. _

_"Look, one day, when I get my memory back, and if you're still available, maybe we can try this again. But right now...it's just too difficult," Harry finally said. _

I pulled the extendable ear away and turned to Hermione.

"They're in love?" I whispered, my heart sinking. I frowned, confused as to why this had hurt me so much. Sure, I was attracted to Harry, but I liked Dean. Dean was my boyfriend. He was perfect. And he felt the same way about me that I felt about him.

Hermione frowned. "Harry never said- _Ron, _what do you know?" she demanded, noticing as Ron tried his hardest to look busy.

"I don't know anything," he muttered.

Hermione glared at him until he finally shrunk under her intense gaze.

"Fine, fine...it's just...before school ended, Cho had told Harry she loved him, and he didn't say it back. Anyway, it caused loads of problems between the two. Harry didn't want me telling anyone..."

Hermione frowned. "Why didn't he tell _me_?"

"Because you hate Cho."

"I don't _hate _her," Hermione scoffed, "in fact, I'm the one who helped set the up!"

I heard loud footstep on the other side of the door. "Someone's coming!" I whispered loudly, getting up. The three of us stood up and backed away just in time. Cho opened the door, her eyes filled with tears. She muttered a quick hello to us before taking off down the corridor.

"Is she okay?" Harry asked from his bed, looking guilty. I smiled, noticing most of his wounds were gone, and it didn't look like they were going to leave any scars. Although, his hair was still blonde and his glasses still square.

"I think she'll be okay," Hermione responded kindly.

"I'll tell Dad you're available," Ron said, "he wants to talk to you about the security measures."

Harry nodded dully and Ron took off. Hermione hurried forward, fluffing his pillow much like Mum did.

"Do you need anything? You look hungry. Or thirsty! Merlin, you and Cho were talking in here for a while. Do you need me to go get you anything? Oh, I'll go down to the cafeteria and bring you something," Hermione rambled, smoothing out Harry's blankets.

Harry opened his mouth to argue but she was already gone.

"Is she always like that?" he asked me, looking amused.

"What? Like everybody's mum? Pretty much. It sucks during exams, though. She prepares study schedules for everybody," I told him, carefully making my way to his bed.

He nodded, turning to look out the window. I watched him stare outside, a sorrowful expression.

"Harry, are you okay?" I asked.

"I didn't mean to hurt her," he muttered.

I squeezed his hand. "Cho's a big girl. She understands what you're going through."

He nodded. "She gave me a picture of the two of us."

He showed me a photograph taken a few months ago. Harry had his arm around Cho, smiling slightly at the camera. Cho, on the other hand, was looking up at him adoringly. From the way she looked at him, I had no doubts that Cho loved Harry. On the other hand, everybody loved Harry. He was the wizarding world hero; he was kind to everybody; he _saved _the whole world on a daily freaking basis.

Sighing, I looked down at the picture again. Judging from the pink background, they were at Madam Puddifoot's.

"That's strange," I said more to myself.

"What?"

I shrugged. "Nothing. I just never took you for a bloke that liked Madam Puddifoot's."

"Madam what?"

I laughed. "Nothing...it's just this little restaurant for couples."

He nodded. "So, why are you allowed to tell me that but not who Peter Pettigrew is?"

I glared at him. "Are we really going to get into this again?"

"Sorry," he muttered, though he didn't sound sorry.

I handed him back the picture. "You look good."

He frowned. "I look like Harry Potter."

"You _are _Harry Potter!" I told him, exasperated.

"How am I supposed to feel like Harry Potter, if I don't even look like him?" he demanded.

Sighing, I took out the small package in my bag. "I ordered this last night for you...maybe it'll make you feel more like yourself..."

"You got me a present," he grinned.

"It's nothing, really," I shrugged, "Fred and George helped."

Smiling, Harry tore open the small package. Inside, were a pair of round glasses, identical to the old ones. The twins and I had spent hours searching for a pair of glasses identical to the ones Harry wore.

"They're like the ones in the picture!" he beamed, trying them on. "How do I look?" he asked.

I smiled, watching his eager smile as he looked into the mirror. I hoped that the glasses would make him feel more like himself; but honestly, to me, I didn't care whether he wore round glasses or square glasses. As long as he was happy, which I knew he hadn't been for ages. And for the first time, as he looked into the mirror, I knew that he was finally starting to feel like himself. His glasses were a part of him, and I think he was finally getting that part of himself back. No matter how small or insignificant it was.

"You look brilliant," I finally said.


	7. Missing Mundugus

**Chapter Seven:**

**Missing Mundugus**

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

I stared out the window of the Hogwarts Express, watching as we sped past the green landscape. Ron and Harry were sitting across from me. Ron was sleeping, letting out the occasional snore. Harry was looking into the mirror, checking out his reflection.

"Mate, you're really pretty. Now, could you please just put the mirror down," Ron muttered, waking up and seeing that Harry was still looking at himself.

I cracked a small smile.

"Sorry," Harry mumbled, "I just can't get used to the black hair."

"I thought you wanted us to dye it back," I said.

"I did...it's just still so weird," he said, checking out his hair in the mirror.

Outside our compartment, there was loud giggling, and we turned to find several third-years goggling at us- well, goggling at Harry.

"OI! Beat it!" Ron snappeed, closing the curtains on the compartment door.

"Lovely," Harry said dully, sitting back against his seat.

I shook my head. "Unbelievable. It's like this every year."

"It's just because I've lost my memory," Harry muttered angrily.

"I hate to break it to you, mate, but you're kind of the most famous wizard of all time...people'll be staring at you whether you have your memory or not," Ron told him.

"Way to make me feel better," Harry said sarcastically.

Outside, there was a timid knock on the door.

"What now?" Harry grumbled as the door slowly slid open.

"Luna! Neville!" I shrieked, delighted to see the thin girl with dirty-blonde hair and the tall boy with a round face.

"Hi-ya," Neville smiled, "can we join you?"

"Of course!" I exclaimed, moving my things to make room for them.

"Harry, you remember Neville," Ron said, "he came to visit you at St. Mungo's."

"Of course," Harry said, sitting up, "how are you?"

Neville stared at Harry for a moment, confused by his formal greeting. It took him a moment before he remembered that Harry had no memory of them being friends before.

"Oh, good, good," Neville replied quickly, "it's nice to see all of you."

"And, Harry," I said, "this is Luna."

Harry took in her peculiar appearance. We had all gotten used to Luna's butterbeer corks necklace and the radishes dangling from her ears, but I guess it was a little odd the first time you saw them.

"Erm...I read your name in the paper," Harry finally said, "you went to the Department of Mysteries with us."

"I did too!" Neville volunteered eagerly.

Luna beamed. "Yes, we both did!"

"Where's Ginny?" Neville asked. Ginny hadn't left Harry's side all summer, and their growing bond was obvious to anybody within ten feet of them. I guess it was a bit strange that she wasn't with him right now.

"She's with Dean," I responded, ignoring the face Ron made at the mention of Dean's name.

"I like Ginny," Luna mused, "she stopped Zacharias Smith from making fun of me earlier."

"Bat-bogey hex?" Ron guessed, remembering when Ginny had used the same hex on him earlier in the summer. I had disapproved of her using magic outside of school, but I did have to admit the sight of Ron fighting off bats as they flew out of his nose was quite amusing. Besides, his constant nagging about Dean was getting pretty tiring.

"How'd you guess?" Neville wondered.

"Let's just say I've been there," Ron muttered darkly.

"What'd you do?" Neville asked, trying to hide his laughter.

"Nothing!" Ron exclaimed indignantly. "Why does everybody assume that _I _was the one who did something?"

"Hey, did you hear about the Chudley Cannons getting a new seeker?" Neville suddenly gasped.

I rolled my eyes and muttered, "Quiddictch."

Ron sat up. "I can't believe it either. They can't replace Galvin Gudgeon! He's the only reason they got so far in the league last year."

"What do you think, Harry?" Neville asked, temporarily forgetting Harry's condition.

Harry looked surprised that he was being spoken to. He blinked several times. "Erm...I don't know..."

"That's right!" Neville exclaimed, his eyes widening in panic, "I'm so sorry! I forgot!"

"It's fine," Harry said, shrugging.

"It's okay," Ron reassured Neville, "as soon as Harry gets back on the field, I'm sure all of his instincts will come back to him. He's a natural. You know, Dumbledore made him captain."

"What?" Neville yelped.

"I mean, Alicia and Katie are going to co-captain with him until he gets his memory back, but still," Ron told them eagerly.

"Are you going to try out again?" Luna wondered.

Ron shrugged, turning a slight shade of pink. "I reckon so...I don't know..."

There was a sharp knock on the compartment door, interrupting Ron's embarrassed blubbering. Ginny slid into the compartment quickly.

"Ginny!" Harry exclaimed eagerly, his face lighting up.

Ginny plopped down beside Harry, looking around at all of us nervously.

"What is it?" I demanded at once.

"Mundugus Fletcher has been reported as missing," she said, showing us the _Daily Prophet._

Neville frowned, "Mundugus Fletcher? Who's he?"

"No one," Ron muttered, staring at me and Ginny nervously. The three of looked at each other anxiously, knowing we couldn't talk about this in front of Neville and Luna.

Neville shrugged. "Poor bloke. Must be You-Know-Who."

"I sure hope not," I muttered, thinking of all the vital information Mundugus has from the Order. Ron caught my eye for a second, and I could see he was thinking the exact same thing as me.

* * *

"We have to write to Dad," Ginny said at once.

Ginny, Ron, and I were all sitting in the empty common room. Harry, who had been exhausted from meeting people and learning all about magic had fallen asleep immediately. Once he was sure that Harry was asleep, Ron came down to meet us in the common room. The three of us had waited all day to get a private moment alone to talk about Mundugus.

Ron sighed. "He'll probably just say it was nothing."

"Well, there must be someone who will tell us the truth," Ginny insisted.

"There was," Ron said quietly, "Sirius."

I closed my eyes, allowing the wave of sadness to wash over me. We barely had time to mourn Sirius what with all the kidnapping and memory loss. It just didn't seem right that we never really got to pay our respects to Sirius. He deserved at least a funeral or something. It just wasn't right.

"Sirius would never leave us out of the loop," Ron lamented.

"Well, Sirius isn't here," I said quietly.

Ginny sighed. "How do you reckon Harry's going to deal with everything when he remembers Sirius?"

"How do you think he's going to feel when he realizes his only father-figure was murdered right in front of him? My guess is pretty lousy," Ron said.

Ginny rubbed her temples. "Well, maybe Remus?"

"It wouldn't hurt to try," I shrugged.

"I bet it's nothing," Ron muttered, "I bet that coward is just hiding because he's too scared of what he's done."

"But what if he's not?" I whispered, my heart racing.

"Then we better hope You-Know-Who doesn't have him," Ginny said, "and if he does, we better hope that spineless git will be brave for once."

I sighed. "Should we tell Harry?"

Ron shook his head. "No, I don't even think he remembers who Mundugus is."

"That's good," I nodded, "I don't think he suspected anything on the train either."

"Neither did Neville," Ron agreed.

Ginny bit her lip. "Luna might have."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, Luna's very perceptive," Ginny shrugged, "she knows a lot more than she lets on."

"Well, we can't slip up around her again," I told them severely.

"What do you guys think Harry's going to do about school?" Ginny wondered.

"I've been thinking about that too," I said, sitting up, "and the more I think about it, the more it scares me. Merlin, think of how much he's going to miss while his memories are gone. He won't be ready for the NEWTs when they come."

"He's got a meeting with Dumbledore tomorrow after breakfast," Ron reminded us, "I bet Dumbledore will take care of it then."

"I hope so," Ginny said, standing up, "Anyway, I think I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you lot tomorrow."

"Night," I smiled as Ginny traipsed upstairs.

"You going to bed too?" Ron asked me.

I turned to look at him. "I think I'll stay here a bit longer."

"Yeah, me too..." he said, smiling at me. I couldn't help but grin back, feeling little butterflies in my stomach at being alone with Ron.


	8. Dumbledore's Plan

**Chapter Eight:**

**Dumbledore's Plan**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I followed Ron and Hermione into the Great Hall, barely listening as they argued over something silly. It was so strange to be going to a school where kids learned magic. And it was even weirder that everywhere I went, eyes would follow me. Giggling girls would blush and look away the moment I noticed them; blokes would stare at me curiously, looking slightly awestruck.

"This is where we usually sit," Hermione told me. She motioned for me to sit down, pointing to a seat across from her and beside Ron.

I stared at the plate in front me, remembering my shock last night when all of the food appeared out of nowhere. This whole magic thing would definitely take some getting used to.

"Did you sleep well?" Hermione asked me, studying me anxiously.

"I think so. Although, I did have an odd dream."

Ron and Hermione looked up at me, their eyes wide with excitement.

"A dream...like a memory?" Ron asked eagerly. His droopy, tired face had transformed into one of interest and anticipation.

I shook my head. "I don't think so. I had a dream this little creature...I think it called itself an elf...anyway, it came to visit me in the middle of the night," I explained, struggling to recall exactly what happened.

"An elf?" Hermione frowned. "Like a house elf?"

I shrugged. "Must be. Anyway, he told me that he wanted to see if I was okay. And he said something about me freeing him with a sock. What do you reckon that means?"

Ron laughed. "It means Dobby paid you a little visit last night."

Hermione beamed. "Oh, how is he? He hasn't come to visit you in a while now. I was just thinking the other night that I might knit something for the other house elves...although, I can't knit much more than a hat or a sock..." Hermione trailed off, scratching her chin, already deep in thought.

I dropped my fork. "You mean that thing was _real_?"

Hermione gave me a contempt look. "Of course he was."

Ron frowned. "You should have woken me up. I have a pair of socks that I've been needing to get rid of. I reckon Dobby would have loved them."

"Why would he want a sock?" I asked, confused. _Was this some sort of magical thing? Did socks have some sort of magical property?_

"They're his favorite article of clothing. He loves them," Ron told me, rolling his eyes.

"Do all...what was it that you called them...house elves like socks?"

"No, just Dobby," Ron said, "and don't you go around giving house elves socks," he added sternly.

Hermione gave Ron a furious look. "And why shouldn't he?"

"Because he'd free them!"

"And they should be freed! Honestly, it's people like you Ronald that have these poor creatures brainwashed into thinking they're slaves. It's disgusting!" Hermione shouted.

Ron rubbed his temples, resembling a tired old man. "Not this _spew _stuff again."

"S.P.E.W.!" Hermione hissed, correcting him.

"What's _spew_?" I wondered.

"Not you too," Hermione moaned, "it's S.P.E.W."

"Sorry," I said, "anyway, what is it?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Hermione's club for nutters."

"May I remind you that both of you joined this club for nutters," she snapped.

"Only to shut you up," Ron said defensively.

I stared at them, trying to keep up with the conversation, but they had lost me at socks.

"Where's Ginny?" I finally sighed, hoping she could translate Ron and Hermione's constant bickering into something that I could actually comprehend.

Hermione shrugged. "Don't know...I reckon she's with her friends or Dean."

I felt an uncomfortable knot in my stomach. "Doesn't she sit with us?" I asked.

Ron looked at me funny. "No, not really...why would she?"

"Well, we're friends, aren't we?" I said.

Ron shrugged. "Yeah, well, she's also a year below us, and she's got her own friends. Besides, we don't really hang out with each other unless we're at home."

I felt my heart sink, realizing that Ginny, my only friend, wasn't really my friend. I'd heard everybody tell me all summer that Ginny was more like a little sister to me, that I didn't usually hang out with her, but I hadn't really paid them much attention until now. I looked around, searching for the familiar flaming red hair. I spotted her at the end of the table, squished between Dean and the Seamus bloke that I had met last night. She and Dean were laughing at something Seamus was saying. I watched as she flipped her hair back, rolling her eyes. She noticed me watching her and shot me a brief grin.

"I forgot she didn't really hang out with us at school," I muttered, feeling like I was losing the only connection I had to my old life. Ginny was the only person I remembered; therefore, she was like the only remnant of my life before. Sure, Ron and Hermione were great people, but Ginny was different. I felt an inexplicable bond with her; I could easily be myself around her and trust that she would be there for me.

I noticed Hermione watching me suspiciously, studying my expression. I could already see the gears in her brain going into overdrive, like she was trying to solve some sort of puzzle.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked her.

"Just trying to figure you out," she sighed, giving up and going back to her breakfast.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," she mumbled, but I could tell it was something.

Not for the first time, I felt like Hermione knew way more than she let on. Ron wasn't kidding when he called her a "bloody genius." The girl could figure anything out; it was almost scary. I almost felt naked around her, like she could easily figure out my thoughts and emotions at just a glance.

"Hey," a soft voice said. I looked up to find Ginny standing over us, grinning down at me.

"What do you want?" Ron asked her, his mouth full.

Ginny stared at him. "Lovely, Ron. Mum did a swell job with you."

"Shut up," he grumbled, attempting to swallow his food.

"Anyway," she said, turning to me, "how have you been doing?"

I shrugged. "Not much has changed since you saw me last night."

She bit her lip. "I'm just nervous about your first day, that's all."

"Oh, Professor McGonagall's handing out schedules!" Hermione shrieked, eyeing a stern looking professor as she went up and down the table.

"What kind of classes are there at Hogwarts anyway?" I wondered. Certainly, there wouldn't be algebra and history here.

"Well, _you're _taking Potions, Transfigurations, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Herbology. At least, that's what you signed up for last year," Hermione informed me, her eyes still following McGonagall. "I'm signed up for all those classes too, plus Ancient Runes and Arithmancy."

"Although," Ron said thoughtfully, "I don't know how you're going to take your classes if you have no memory of the past five years."

"I'm sure thats what Dumbledore wants to talk to you about in your meeting with him," Ginny said.

I stared at them. "I'm sorry, but did you lot say _Potions _and _Charms_?"

Hermione giggled. "I forgot what it was like when I found out that I was magical. I couldn't believe I was taking a potions class either."

Ginny glanced down the table. "Dean's waiting for me...anyway, Harry, good luck on your first day! I'll see you at lunch!" she exclaimed, hurrying back down the table.

"Professor!" Hermione cried when McGonagall finally reached us.

"Same classes as last year, Ms. Granger?" McGonagall asked, waving her wand over a piece of parchment.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied, studying the schedule that was just given to her.

"And you, Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall asked as Ron began to blubber about the classes he wanted to take.

I looked up to where Dumbledore was sitting at the head of the staff table. The professor and Ron's conversation faded out as Dumbledore turned to me, his piercing blue eyes gazing into mine. He gave me a brief smile before turning back to a conversation he was having with a tiny little wizard. I turned back to the others just as Professor McGonagall and Ron finished their scheduling discussion.

"And Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall finally said, "Professor Dumbledore asked me to tell you that he will be handling your scheduling situation during your meeting with him today."

I nodded. "Oh, okay. Thank you."

She nodded, and turned away. Before she walked off, though, she looked back at me and said, "Oh, and welcome back, Mr. Potter." For a split-second a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, but she was already marching along the table, talking to other students before I could get a clear view of it.

* * *

After I had bade Ron and Hermione goodbye, and watched as they headed down the crowded hallway, blending in with the other students, I turned around and trudged to Professor Dumbledore's office. I remembered the first time I had met him, I'd been amazed at his greatness. Even before I knew he was the greatest sorcerer of all time, I could already tell he was extraordinary. He gave off this aura of kindness and wisdom.

"Erm...acid pops?" I called out uncertainly once I reached the stone gargoyles. Just like the note had said, the gargoyles jumped aside, allowing me in. "Erm...thanks," I muttered, unsure of what the polite wizarding protocol was in a situation like this. Could the gargoyles talk? Did they have a mind? Did they get their feelings hurt? Or where they just charmed to do what we say? I sighed, my head spinning with all the magic happening around me.

"Come in," Dumbledore called before I even got a chance to knock on the door. "Good morning, Harry," Dumbledore beamed upon seeing me, "I trust you slept well."

"Very well, sir."

"Despite a certain little house elf visiting you?"

I stared at him. _How did he know that_?

"I'm the headmaster, Harry," Dumbledore said wisely, "it's my job to know what goes on in this castle."

"Well, you're doing a good job of it," I complimented, impressed.

He shook his head. "Well, coming from one of the few people who's gotten away with breaking about a thousand school rules, I thank you, Harry."

"I'm a troublemaker?" I asked, surprised at this news.

He chuckled. "I believe you once said 'I don't go looking for trouble, trouble finds me.'"

I scratched my head. "I wish I could remember."

"You will," he said confidently, "but all in good time."

"I hope so," I muttered.

Dumbledore smiled. "Well take a seat! We've got much to talk about," he exclaimed, gesturing for me to sit down.

"Like what?" I prompted.

"Well, for starters, your schedule," he began, his tone serious, "I understand you may have some trouble keeping up, but I want you to attend your classes regularly. Hopefully, getting you back into your regular routine might bring back some memories for you. Now, don't worry about grades. I've already discussed it with your teachers, and they agree with me. You'll be exempt from all of your exams until you get your memory back. I want you to focus on getting comfortable in your surroundings. Get to know your old friends again. Hopefully, something will trigger your memory."

"Yes, sir," I said obediently.

Dumbledore sat up in his chair, his striking blue eyes boring into mine. "Harry, I want you to understand that just because you're being exempt from tests and quizzes, it does not mean I don't expect you to fully participate in your classes. If you don't understand something, your teachers have already gladly offered to give you extra tutoring, and I'm sure Ms. Granger will be more than willing to help you study."

I nodded. "Of course."

"Anyway," Dumbledore said, smiling. He sat back in his seat. "I also want to tell you that I wish to be giving you private lessons this year. We'll meet up once a week. These lessons are very important."

I frowned. "I'm sorry...lessons over what?"

"Well, for starters, we need to get your memory back. It's vital that you remember your past in order for our real training to begin."

"You're going to help me get my memory back?" I asked, surprised.

He nodded. "That is the plan."

"But...but I thought you didn't want me to force any memories. I thought you wanted it to come back gradually and naturally."

Dumbledore nodded. "I do. And that's why we won't be forcing information down your throat in hopes you remember. I'm going to take you to different places- places of great significance to you. Hopefully, some of these places are powerful enough in your mind that they trigger something in your brain."

I sat up, intrigued. Anything to help retrieve my memories sounded like a good plan to me. "Where do we go first?"

A beautiful scarlet bird flew out of his cage, landing gently on Dumbledore's shoulder. Dumbledore reached over, gently petting the bird. "We're going back to where this whole mess began," he said quietly, "we're going to Privet Drive."


	9. Privet Drive

**Chapter Nine:**

**Privet Drive**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick," I muttered, clutching my stomach. When Dumbledore told me we'd be apparating, I'd assumed it would feel something like traveling by floo powder or a portkey. Never had I dreamed that we'd travel by the most uncomfortable means necessary. It felt like my entire body had turned inside out and was being squished through a tiny rubber tube.

Dumbledore didn't reply. Instead he looked around observantly, his eyes traveling up and down the tidy street. "It takes some getting used to," he finally murmured. "Look around, Harry," he ordered, "this is where you grew up."

Doing as he said, I looked around the neat street. Identical houses where all lined up evenly. The roads were all clear except for the occasional leaf floating around. There were birds chirping and the occasional sound of children laughing in the distance. It seemed life a nice, safe place - the ideal place for a child to grow up. A place where nothing bad would happen. Ever.

Yet, standing in the middle of the street, under the blazing sun, I felt anything but happy. The very sight of this place brought me absolute dread.

"How does it make you feel?" Dumbledore whispered.

I clenched my fists. "Angry...and sad...but I don't know why..."

Sighing, Dumbledore nodded. "I expected so. Harry, does anything seem at all familiar to you?"

I looked around, shaking my head. "No...I'm sorry..."

"Well, come on, then," he said, "I think it's time you met your family."

My eyes widened. "Really?" I followed Dumbledore as he led me across the street. As we walked up the drive way, I took in the sight of the light brown house. It was nothing too extravagant, but it looked like a decent house. I could definitely see myself growing up comfortably here.

"Number four, Privet Drive," I observed, noticing the number on the mailbox. Dumbledore didn't say anything, instead leading me up to the front door. He rang the doorbell promptly, putting on a polite smile face.

"Professor," I asked cautiously, "Ron and Hermione told me my family and I...well, we don't get along."

Dumbledore glanced at me. "You've done nothing wrong, Harry," he assured me. I nodded, hoping that whatever argument we had in the past, my family would be willing to put it behind them. Already a million questions were floating through my mind. What were my parents like? Did we have any pets? Where did my mum grow up? How did she and my dad meet? Why'd they name me Harry? Surely, my aunt and uncle would be more than willing to answer any of my questions.

The door opened, revealing a thin, blonde-haired woman with small, pale blue eyes. Her eyes widened at the sight of Dumbledore. Stunned, she glanced down at me, and jumped back, startled.

"Petunia?" a rough voice called from upstairs, "who is it?"

"It's...it's Harry," she managed to choke back, taking a step back from us.

"Mind if we come in?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly, stepping inside. Keeping my eyes on my aunt Petunia, I followed Dumbledore. From the pictures I'd been shown, she looked nothing like my mother. My mother had dark red hair that fell to her shoulders; but more distinctly, she had the same startling green eyes as me.

Sneaking a peek around the room, I noted how unnervingly neat the house was. It practically sparkled with cleanliness, every inch of the house was scrubbed down. It was completely different from the Burrow, which was in constant disarray. Not that I could blame Mrs. Weasley for the disorganization...especially with the twins around. It was a wonder the house was still standing.

"Did-did you say _Harry_?" the rough voice shouted back, sounding alarmed. I assumed it was my uncle Vernon.

"And Albus Dumbledore," Dumbledore replied politely, barely raising his voice; yet it still seemed to echo around the house, "I believe we met last summer when I came to ask you questions about Harry."

Uncle Vernon came rumbling down the stairs, looking furious. He was a big man with a large purple face. I wasn't sure if his face was purple normally or if it was the sight of us that caused his face to turn that unpleasant shade. Whatever the reason, he certainly did not look happy to see me.

"Erm," I cleared my throat, sticking my hand out, "I'm Harry..."

"We know who you are," Aunt Petunia snapped, though she looked like she'd swallowed stinksap.

I dropped my hand down to my side, unsure of what else to say. Clearly these people weren't happy to see me.

"I thought you were missing," Uncle Vernon barked remorselessly. He had made his way downstairs, wearing the ugliest suit I had ever seen. He stood in front of Aunt Petunia, hovering over her protectively. What they were scared of, I had no idea. I couldn't imagine anyone ever being scared in the presence of Albus Dumbledore. I felt safer just standing next to him, like nothing could ever hurt me.

"I was found," I answered, frowning. I turned to Dumbledore. "Didn't you tell them?"

"Certainly," Dumbledore said. He glanced at Aunt Petunia. "Didn't you get my owl?"

Uncle Vernon gave a hollow laugh. "Bloody owls flying in and out of our house all summer! Think of what the neighbors thought! You lot completely embarrassed us!"

"I'm sorry for any inconvenience we caused you," Dumbledore apologized, "but you've failed to answer my question. Did you get my owl?"

"Yes, we got your ruddy owl!" he sneered.

"We didn't open it," Aunt Petunia huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well, it's nice that your alive, boy," Uncle Vernon said, straightening up, "but I'm already late for work as it is. We can't entertain guests right now."

Aunt Petunia, who seemed to have gained some courage, laughed humorlessly. "What kind of guests arrive this early in the morning, anyway? And with no warning! You people don't have the sense of common courtesy."

"This is of absolute urgency," Dumbledore told her, "trust me, I wouldn't be here by choice."

"Urgency?" Uncle Vernon barked. "You've found the boy, haven't you?"

"The boy's name is Harry," Dumbledore said calmly, "and if you had read the letter I sent you, you would have known that Harry lost his memory."

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia turned to stare at me.

"Lost your memory?" Uncle Vernon repeated, looking dazed.

I nodded.

"Well, what do you expect us to do about it?" Aunt Petunia snapped.

"Can't you lot just do a bit of your," Uncle Vernon lowered his voice, "_hocus pocus_."

"Ah, you want us to use magic!" Dumbledore said loudly.

"SHH!" Aunt Petunia cried, rushing to close the door, "the neighbors will hear you!"

"We can't," I told her, "listen, I really need your help. Is there anything about last summer...anything about me that you can tell me that will help bring my memory back? Or help clear up who did this to me?"

Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia exchanged looks.

"The sooner you tell me, the sooner we'll leave," I informed them, catching on to their hatred of magic.

Uncle Vernon nodded, and Aunt Petunia sighed. "There's nothing to tell. You mostly stayed in your room all summer."

"I never left?" I prompted.

She thought about it. "Sometimes you went to the park, but you usually didn't stay very long."

"The park?" Dumbledore asked.

Uncle Vernon sighed impatiently. "It's a few blocks away, a five to ten minute walk from here."

"Is that useful information?" I asked Dumbledore.

He considered this. "Maybe."

"Is that all you need?" Uncle Vernon snapped.

Dumbledore turned his attention back the Dursley's. "No, I must intrude on your poor hospitality a little bit longer."

"Oh you must, do you?" Uncle Vernon growled.

"May we go see Harry's room," he asked, though I already knew he didn't care what the answer was.

"I have to go to work," Uncle Vernon growled.

"Well, I'm sure your lovely wife could handle two guests on her own."

"Like hell I'm leaving her alone with you!"

Dumbledore shrugged. "It's your choice, but we'll be up in Harry's bedroom."

I followed as Dumbledore marched upstairs as if he owned the house, not even bothering to look back at the stunned faces of the Dursleys.

"They're not very pleasant people," I murmured.

Dumbledore sighed. "You sound surprised."

I shrugged. "I guess I just hoped that my only living relatives would feel some sort of affection towards me. I hoped they could tell me about my parents...it was stupid, I guess."

Dumbledore turned to look at me seriously. "It's not foolish, Harry, to want a family that loves you. But I also want you to understand that you did have a family that loved you very much. Your parents gave up their lives protecting you."

"Well, they're dead now, aren't they," I muttered bitterly.

He nodded sadly. "Yes, but it saddens me, Harry, that you don't realize how many people still love you." I blinked. "The Weasleys would rather die than let anything happen to you. Molly considers you her own son...she allowed the ministry to go through all of her mail, to rummage to through her private property, to question her and her entire family all so that you could stay with her this summer. Your friends never left your bedside this summer, and they spent the other half of it searching for you, never giving up. They may not be related to you by blood, but they love you just the same. It's curious that you can't see that."

I stared at him, shame and guilt suddenly washing over me. I felt a new sort of affection for all the Weasleys and Hermione. Sure, they weren't related to me, but they'd been nothing but kind to me since I woke up form that hospital. And I could see it was hurting all of them that I couldn't remember their names, and that I didn't feel the same connection with them as they felt toward me. Especially Ron and Hermione. With a new outlook, I swore that as soon as I got back to Hogwarts, I would make more of an effort to get to know Ron and Hermione. They deserved at least that from me. And I would write to Mrs. Weasley, thanking her for her hospitality.

"Ah, I believe this is you room!" Dumbledore exclaimed striding into an empty room.

"How can you tell?" I wondered, following him inside the bare room with the blank walls.

"Well, the only other room was your cousin's," he replied.

"I have a cousin!"

Dumbledore nodded. "Dudley Dursley. Same age as you...a few months older, I believe..."

I let this information sink in, wondering what kind of relationship my cousin and I had. As hard as I tried, no memories of him came back to me. It was all just a big blank. Frustrated, I watched as Dumbledore studied the empty room.

"What are you looking for?"

"Anything that might be familiar to you..." he mumbled, pacing around the room. Beneath him, the floor made a small creaking noise.

I pointed to the floor where Dumbledore stood. "There's a loose floorboard under there where I keep stuff...I was scared they would discover my school stuff and take it away, so I hid it there..." I paused, wonderstruck. "I can't believe I remember that..."

Dumbledore swiveled around, staring at me in wonder. "Show me," he whispered, a light of excitement in my eyes. Nodding, I rushed over to the floor, yanking up the floorboard. I gasped, seeing the mess of hidden contents. There was some old parchment, a few quills, a few textbooks, and stacks of letters from Ron, Hermione, Cho, and Ginny. Secretly, I had been hoping my wand was in there. As much as magic freaked me out, I had to admit it was fantastic. And I'd been dying to try it out all summer, but with no wand, there was no point.

Dumbledore knelt down beside me. "You might want to read over those letters."

"You think it'll help me remember what happened to me last summer?"

"No, but I think it'll help you remember who your friends are."

* * *

Dumbledore and I stood in the middle of the park silently. I wasn't sure what we were waiting for or if we were even waiting for anything, but I didn't want to interrupt Dumbledore's thoughts.

We were alone in the park, what with most kids being in school; so, we were spared the odd looks from strangers. All the way down here, children and adults alike would turn to stare at Dumbledore's weird appearance. Beside his long silvery hair and beard, his magenta robes did not help to blend us in. Besides, I was still in my Hogwarts uniform, which probably caused some weird stares.

"Sir," I finally said.

"Yes?"

"What are we doing?"

Dumbledore frowned. "I'm wondering if you ran away or if somebody kidnapped you."

"You think I would run away?"

"I don't think you would...not after the conversation we had at the end of last term..." he muttered thoughtfully.

"So...somebody took me?"

Dumbledore sighed, turning to face me. "You see, Harry, your mother's protection only extends so far. You're safe as long as your living with the Dursleys in their _home_. If you are anywhere besides the house, you're just as vulnerable to Voldemort as anybody else. And if you spent much of your time in this park...somebody could have easily taken you...especially with Mundugus leaving you to fend for yourself..."

"Mundugus?" I frowned, the name stirring a memory. "Ron, Hermione, and Ginny...they were talking about him on the train. They said he's gone missing..."

Dumbledore nodded somberly. "He hasn't been seen since the night you disappeared."

"Ron and the twins...I once heard them say that he was probably hiding...too scared to come out after he left me last summer..."

"That's a possibility."

I stared at Dumbledore. "But you don't think that's what happened."

"I think Mundugus is an easy target for a lot of useful information," he replied, turning away from me. "Arabella! Good to see you see!" he beamed, spotting a batty looking old woman. She had grizzled, gray fly-away tied into a stiff bun. She strode towards us with a surprising amount of energy, still in her carpet tartan slippers and pink robe.

"Dumbledore, I heard the neighbors saying a strange old man was seen walking with the Potter boy!" she exclaimed upon reaching us.

Dumbledore smiled. "I thought you might show up sooner or later."

_Aha_, I thought, _so we were waiting for somebody._

"Harry," she gasped, turning to look at me, "I'm so sorry I was of no help last summer...but an old squib like me probably wouldn't have been much help anyway. Thank Merlin you're alright. I couldn't believe it when I heard that fool Mundugus left you alone _again_. Especially with the dementor attack that happened last year! Oh, the nerve!"

"Dementor?" I frowned, my head spinning.

"Harry, this is Arabella Figg. She's your neighbor," Dumbledore informed me.

"Oh," I exclaimed, shaking her hand, "nice to meet you...oh, I mean see you again. I'm sorry. It's all a bit tricky with the memory loss...wait, so are you a witch too?"

She laughed. "No, I'm a squib. That's why I needed Dung here to help me keep you safe if something magical were to happen," she said bitterly, "has there been any news of that coward yet?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Nobody's heard from him."

"He'll turn up sooner or later," Mrs. Figg said, "anyway, what are you two doing here? Petunia's head was practically spinning in circles. The whole neighborhood's been talking about the strange man that showed up at her house this morning. I don't know how she'll lie herself out of this one."

Dumbledore cracked a small smile. "I figured as much...but we're here in hopes that this place might trigger anything in Harry's memory. Arabella, are you sure there isn't anything that might help us?"

Mrs. Figg grimaced. "All I know is what I already told you last summer. There was a crack outside, and both Harry and I ran outside, thinking it was Mundugus or Arthur coming to pick Harry up. Anyway, when there wasn't anyone there, I told the boy to go back inside. It was safest for him to stay there. Anyway, I thought he'd listen to me because he started making his way up again. But once I got inside and looked out my window, I noticed him making his way up the road. Now, I knew he usually went to the park around that time, but it still scared me. What with that mysterious apparating sound outside...I wasn't sure if Mundugus had left or if he had just arrived...So, I tried to follow him up to the park, but he was walking so fast, I lost sight of him. I just hoped desperately that Dung was following him too. Anyway, by the time I reached the park, nobody was there. Panicking, I rushed home, checked the Dursleys to see if Harry was there, but all the lights were out. I was so scared...I ran inside and wrote to you write away. And then, I went outside again and continued my search for him. But he was gone...just vanished. I figured that they would find him soon, especially because he was underage. I thought that they would be able to detect if anybody used magic around him...but a month went by and still no word. I searched the neighborhood everyday, looking for him..."

"So...I disappeared somewhere around this park?" I said, touching the swings. There was nothing familiar about them, and there was nothing familiar about that story either.


	10. Blood and White Snow

**Chapter Ten:**

**Blood and White Snow**

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

* * *

"Queen to E5," I said triumphantly, watching my queen knock out Seamus' knight.

"You're cheating!" Seamus accused, outraged.

"Am not!" I snapped back, grinning gloatingly.

All around us, the common room was in a bustle. Students were doing homework, studying, snogging, complaining about the first day, or just sitting around with friends. Neville was taking care of that plant his uncle gave him last year, Ginny was nowhere to be seen, and as usual, Hermione was pacing nervously. What she had to worry about on the first day of school, I had no idea.

"What's gotten her knickers in a twist?" Seamus asked, nodding over to Hermione.

I shrugged. "No idea." Clearing my throat loudly, I turned to Hermione. "Hermione...are you alright?" I asked hesitantly. Whenever Hermione was this anxious, it was best to steer clear of her. She tended to be a bit short-tempered.

She looked at me. "It's nearly dinnertime and we haven't seen Harry since this morning. I'm worried about him."

I rolled my eyes. "He's fine. He's probably still with Dumbledore...or Ginny. You worry too much."

She glared furiously at me. "Oh, you are the most insensitive pig I know!" Seamus and I exchanged amused grins. "Honestly, the two of you haven't gotten one thoughtful bone in your body!" she continued, her face red and her eyes wide.

"Hey, I'm thoughtful!" I said defensively.

Seamus seemed to be considering something. "You know...Ginny and Dean are off snogging in some corridor...I think you're right. Harry must still be with Dumbeldore. You know, the whole school's talking about them. A first year swore he saw the two of them leaving the grounds together this morning," he said eagerly, probably wondering what adventures Dumbledore had taken Harry on.

But I had frozen, my body tensing up in fury. "What did you say Ginny and Dean were doing?"

Seamus gulped nervously, knowing he'd just gotten his best friend in trouble. "Err...nothing...nothing..."

I stood up. "The nerve of...of that...that-"

"Oh, hush," Hermione muttered, rolling her eyes at me, "we have bigger problems than your stupid and unreasonable issues with Dean. Ron, Harry's still out there with Dumbledore! It's nearly dinner, and they've been gone all day. When do you reckon they'll come back? Do you think something bad happened? Oh, I hope he's not hurt!"

"If he's with Dumbledore, then he's probably safer than any of us. Don't worry. He's fine," I assured her, turning my focus back on the game of chess Seamus and I had previously been playing.

Hermione looked at me darkly. "Ron, he's Harry. When is he ever fine?"

"Harry is a bit of a magnet for trouble," I said fairly, considering Hermione's worries.

"Exactly!" Hermione exclaimed as if proving a point. She perched herself on the couch, staring at the fire, her mind already reeling with different scenarios in which Harry probably tragically died. Seamus and I exchanged looks, unsure as of how to comfort her. To be honest, Harry and Ginny were usually the good ones about comforting Hermione. I usually made things worse. And Seamus...well, the only thing Seamus was good at was starting inexplicable fires.

I glanced at Hermione nervously as she stared at the crackling fire miserably. Last summer, with Harry gone, Hermione and I had grown loads closer; but now that we were back at Hogwarts, things were different. It was hard to explain, but it seemed that Hermione and I had gone back to our usual bickering ways. As I contemplated whether or not to go over to Hermione, Ginny climbed through the portrait hole.

"Hey!" Ginny greeted us cheerfully.

"Ginny, Harry's still not back yet," Hermione moaned, her big brown eyes wide with worry.

Ginny frowned. "Isn't he with Dumbledore?"

"Yes, but-"

"-then he's fine. Dumbledore would never let anything happen to Harry. Not after everything that happened this summer," she said confidently. Hermione nodded, looking less panicked.

"Checkmate!" I hollered suddenly, winning the game of chess I was playing with Seamus.

Seamus slammed his fists down. "That's the third time in a row! You must be cheating!"

"Am not!" I snapped. "I won on pure talent and skill. It's not my fault you play chess as well as Goyle reads."

"I'm talented at chess!" Seamus huffed.

I scoffed. "Please, you wouldn't know talent if it danced naked in front of you wearing Hermione's demented hats for elves."

"Hey!" Hermione said, looking affronted.

Lavender Brown, on the other hand, who had been walking by with Pavarti, giggled at me and Seamus. Seamus turned red, but I grinned, rather pleased with myself. Lavender shot me one last smile before climbing up to her dormitory.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"Sorry we couldn't get you a better wand," Dumbledore said sadly, "but with Ollivander gone, you'll have to use that one for now. It won't be quite as good as your old one, but it seems to work fairly well for you. I think you could use it for now...just until we find a way to get your old wand back."

I stared at my wand an awe. After hearing my complaint about being wandless, Dumbledore had given me his old wand. I was mesmerized at being given a wand. And not just _any _wand, but Dumbledore's wand. All the way back, I'd walked in silence, unable to vocalize my gratitude and excitement. Finally, the good part about being a wizard was about to begin. Maybe Ginny would teach me that bat bogey hex. According to Ron, who'd been on the receiving end of the hex, Ginny was an expert in that particular spell.

"Thank you," I finally whispered.

Dumbledore chuckled. We were making our way back up to the castle, waving 'hello' to Hagrid. "I think dinner's still in progress," Dumbledore said, "if you hurry, you can still make it."

"Aren't you going too?" I wondered.

"I fancy a visit to Hagrid's," he told me, looking over my head to the small hut near the woods. Hagrid had just gone inside, a small light illuminating from the window.

I shrugged. "Okay...good night, Professor."

I made my way back to the castle, pocketing my wand along with all the other treasures I had found underneath the floorboard earlier today. I couldn't wait to tell the others all about the day I had. When i walked into the Great Hall, I found Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all sitting together. Ron was stuffing his face, a chicken leg in one hand and a cob of corn in the other. Ginny was watching him eat, a look of disgust and contempt on her face. Hermione, though, was staring at her food, looking pale and miserable. I made a beeline toward them, but somebody stepped in front of me, cutting me off.

"Hi-ya, Harry," Cho said nervously, flipping her long mane of dark hair. She smiled up at me sweetly, and I had to admit, she was very pretty.

"Cho," I said, surprised, "how are you?"

She smiled. "Good...how was your first day? Any progress?" she asked hopefully.

I grimaced. "Not really. How was yours?"

"Oh, it's my final year, so it pretty much loads of lectures about our NEWTS and whatnot."

"NEWTS?" I frowned.

"Oh, they're an exam you take at the end of your seventh year," she explained. As Cho easily chattered on about N.E.W.T.s, I glanced over her head. Ginny's head was turned to Dean, listening intently to something he was saying. When she noticed me watching her, she gave me a small smile, her light brown eyes lighting up. I shot her a small grin back.

"Excuse me, Cho," I muttered, pushing past her, my eyes still on Ginny. Making a beeline toward my friends, I squeezed in between Ron and Dean. When Hermione noticed me, she put down her fork, watching me anxiously, studying my expression.

"Had fun today?" Ginny asked, turning her attention to me.

I shrugged. "I guess, but I'm starving. We didn't have time to eat lunch."

"Have some pudding for dessert," Ginny advised, "it tastes brilliant."

"As good as your mum's?" I wondered.

"Better," Ron managed to say through a mouthful of food.

Hermione let out a strangled cry.

"You okay?" I asked her, reaching for the pudding.

"Okay?" she repeated faintly. "Harry, you've been gone all day doing heaven knows what! How can the three of you just sit here and talk about pudding?" she cried.

"How can you not?" Ron said. "It's so good."

Hermione was about to retort when Ron knocked down his drink, staining the elegant cloth spread across the table. Sighing, he took out his wand to clean it up.

"It's okay," I exclaimed, taking out my new wand, "I've got it."

"When did you get a wand?" Hermione demanded. "I thought you lost yours."

"It's Dumbledore's old one," I told them, "he's letting me borrow it for the time being."

"Nice," Ron said, impressed.

"Go for it," Ginny grinned, nodding at the spilled drink. I paused, staring at the small stain on the golden table spread.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know how to," I mumbled sheepishly. I hadn't realized that I didn't know any spells.

Hermione sat up importantly. "Just point your wand at the stain...good...now, flick it and say _scourgify_...there you go!"

I watched in amazement as the stain on the table disappeared. "I did it!" I exclaimed.

Ron looked at me, impressed. "Good one, mate."

"Who's wand is it, Harry?" Dean asked, noticing I had used magic. He turned away from his friends, and looked curiously at me.

"Dumbledore's," Ron told him smugly.

Seamus and Dean's eyes widened. "No way," Dean gasped in awe.

"Can I hold it, Harry?" Seamus whispered, staring at the wand in my hand.

"Sure..." I said uncertainly, handing him the wand.

While Seamus and Dean stared at the wand in reverence, Lavender Brown squeezed in between me and Ron.

"Hey, Lavender," Ron said, looking confused. I shot him a questioning look. The only time Lavender had talked to us was on the first day of school when she and Parvati had introduced themselves to me. I didn't really get the impression that we were all friends, but who knows? I was surprised everyday.

"Hi, Ron!" she beamed, throwing him a wide smile.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked, her voice a little too sweet.

"Well, I just came to say hi to Ron," she smiled, not taking her eyes off of Ron.

"Erm...hi..." Ron repeated, looking thunderstruck. I caught Ginny's eye, and we both grinned.

Hermione clucked her tongue in annoyance. "Lavender, I don't mean to be rude, but you're kind of squishing Harry."

"It's fine, really," I muttered, scooting away to make room for Lavender. This girl was obviously interested in Ron, and I didn't want to ruin in it for him.

Lavender smiled at me apologetically. "Sorry, Harry."

I shrugged. "It's fine."

"Lavender!" Pavarti called impatiently.

Lavender glanced at her best friend in annoyance. "I have to go...see you in the common room, Ron!" she squealed before rushing off after her friends.

"That was weird, right?" Ron said, bewildered by Lavender's sudden interest in him.

"I think so...yeah..." I replied uncertainly. Sure, it seemed like weird behavior to me, but I wasn't a very reliable source what with the whole memory loss thing. "I think she fancies you, mate," I told him, clapping him on the back.

Ron cracked his knuckles impressively. "Yeah...I've still got it."

Hermione made an exasperated noise. "You two are the biggest bunch of morons I've ever had the displeasure of meeting!" she grumbled, standing up. With a huff, she stalked out of the common room.

Ron and I stared after her. "Such a lovely, sweet girl..." said Ron quietly so that only I could hear.

I laughed. "I think she fancies you too."

Ron's eyes widened. "Hermione? No! She hates me half the time. Merlin, Harry, you really think so?"

I shrugged. "I guess. But I don't have much experience with girls so I'm not sure I'm all that reliable."

"What are you talking about? You have loads of experience with girls! Don't you recall Cho?"

"Fine, I don't have any experience with girls that I can remember," I corrected.

"Hey! What about me!" Ginny protested.

I glanced at her. "You don't count."

"Why not?"

"Because you were never my girlfriend...I don't have any _romantic _experiences with you."

"Not without my lack of trying," she muttered.

I laughed. "Careful, Dean might hear you."

Ginny was about to retort when she frowned at Ron. "You okay, Ron? You look a bit lost...well, not that you're don't usually look like a confused idiot, but still."

"Hermione _fancies _me," he murmured.

Ginny stared at him. "You're just now realizing this?"

He glared at us. "How come you guys didn't tell me!" He said, smacking my arm.

"I thought you knew!" Ginny exclaimed. "She's just as obvious about liking you as you are about liking her."

Ron scoffed. "I don't _like _Hermione. We're friends."

"Right," I said sarcastically, "and I was just friends with Cho."

Ron stared at us. "You're wrong. Do I care about Hermione? Of course! Do I think she's attractive? Definitely! But that doesn't mean I _fancy _here..."

"Ron, please, spare me," Ginny sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Oh, no," Ron moaned, as if just coming to the realization, "Merlin's pants, I fancy Hermione."

"Merlin's pants?" I snorted.

"And you're sure Hermione fancies me back?" he demanded, glaring accusingly at us.

"Positive," Ginny replied, rolling her eyes.

Ron grinned, sitting back, putting his hands behind his head. "Well, I think I'm going to have some fun with this."

"Of course you are," Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes. With one last look of contempt at Ron, Ginny turned to me. "And what about you, mister?"

"What about me?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Did I or did I not see you talking to Cho just now?"

"It was a friendly conversation."

"Are you sure?" Ginny pressed.

"Positive...why do you care so much anyway?" I asked, slinking my backpack over my shoulder.

"Yeah, why do you?" Dean frowned.

Ginny shrugged. "I just don't want you making any mistakes."

"And Cho would be a mistake?" I asked, standing up.

"She might be...look, just promise me you won't rush into anything with Cho. If you really want to date somebody, then date somebody new. Cho isn't right for you, Harry. You need somebody that won't put so much pressure on you to remember. You need a nice girl, but not too nice. You don't want a pushover."

I smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not really looking for a girlfriend at the moment. At least, not until I'm sure of who I am first. Anyway, I think I'm going to bed early...I'm a bit tired."

"Wait!" Ron called after me as I made my way down the aisle. "You never told us what happened with you and Dumbledore today!"

"Tomorrow," I said over my shoulder, suddenly feeling exhausted. Glad to be away from all the staring and whispered conversations about me, I slowly trudged up the marble staircase. I carefully avoided the trick step that Ron had warned me about and was pleasantly surprised with the silence. I really needed time to think over the day's events and discoveries. Maybe I would read those letters I found when I finally made it to the dormitory.

"Going to bed already?" somebody asked. I turned to find Cho scurrying up the steps to catch up with me. Even though we were broken up, I had to admit she was very pretty. Especially when she smiled at me like that. It momentarily took my breath away, and I wasn't sure how to respond for a moment.

"Erm, yeah...long day," I finally managed to say, "Sorry, about cutting you off earlier...I just saw Ron and Hermione...and that pile of food waiting for me..."

"It's fine," she shook her head, "anyway, that's not what I came to talk to you about."

"You want to talk to me about something? What?"

She took a deep breath as though preparing herself for a big speech. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to wait for you...I'm not ready to move on yet, and I still love you, Harry. When you get your memory back, which you will, and you remember how much we mean to each other, I'll be here. I'm not going to give up on you that easy."

I stared at her, dumbstruck. "Cho," I said quietly, "what if I never get my memory back?"

"You will," she said with such certainty that I almost believed it myself, "and when you do, it'll be like nothing's changed."

"You can't do that," I shook my head, "you need to move on...I can't promise you anything."

"You don't have to. Look, it's my decision to wait for you, and nothing you say can change that. Good night, Harry." She gave me a small smile before turning around. I watched her walk all the way back to the Great Hall, her long hair flowing behind her. I closed my mouth quickly, realizing it was still hanging open. Dazed, I slowly made my way back to the dormitory. I needed to tell Ginny about this. _And Hermione and Ron too_, I reminded myself, remembering the promise I made at the Dursley house. I had promised to let Ron and Hermione back into my life, and the first step in doing that was to trust them again.

_I looked up at the dark sky, taking in the beauty of it. Never in my life had I seen so many stars. They lit up the entire sky, illuminating all the trees and small houses in the distance. Groaning, I took another step, attempting to forget about the nightmarish cold that threatened to freeze me to death. Swirls of falling snow danced all around me. It would have actually been quite pretty if it weren't so sinister. Another strong gust of wind slowed me down as I wheezed and coughed, clutching my stomach. _

_"Hurry up!" somebody snarled. I felt a blow to my head and dropped to my knees. Closing__ my eyes, I attempted to regain my strength. With all of the energy I could muster, I straightened up. I looked down at the numbingly cold snow. Little red drops were quickly staining the perfectly white snow. Gasping, I realized the red drops were coming from my hands, which were stained with blood. _

_"I'm bleeding," I wheezed, clutching my stomach. All of the sudden, I realized the agonizing pain in my abdomen. Something was wrong with me, but all I could concentrate on was the beautiful yet disturbing sight of the dark red blood dripping onto the white snow._


	11. Rosaline

**Chapter Eleven: **

**Rosaline**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

_"I'm bleeding," I wheezed, clutching my stomach. All of the sudden, I realized the agonizing pain in my abdomen. Something was wrong with me, but all I could concentrate on was the beautiful yet disturbing sight of the dark red blood dripping onto the white snow._

"Harry?"

I opened my eyes. Neville was peering over me, his eyes wide with worry. "You alright, mate?" he asked.

I sat up. "Erm, yeah...bad dream..." I muttered.

"Looked like it. Do you want me to wake up Ron?"

"No, it's fine. I just need to get a drink."

He looked at me anxiously. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," I replied, forcing a smile. After I had reassured Neville back into bed, I tiptoed downstairs. It was the fourth time that week that I'd had that strange dream. At first, I thought it was just my very vivid and disturbing imagination that had concocted such a peculiar nightmare, but now, I was starting to wonder if it was a memory. I needed to tell Dumbledore right away. He'd want to know.

"Bullocks," I muttered, checking my watch. It was nearly three in the morning. Dumbledore would probably be sleeping right about now. I slumped onto the sofa, deciding to do homework. I'd fallen way behind all my classwork and the first week of school wasn't even over yet. Hermione had been a big help; she had spent nearly every evening in the library with me, tutoring me. After taking out my Astronomy essay and staring at it for five minutes, I sighed, slamming everything back into my backpack. It was no use attempting the homework if I didn't know what in the sodding hell my teachers were talking about ninety-five percent of the time. Slinging my backpack over my shoulder, I climbed through the portrait hole.

"Honestly!" the Fat Lady grumbled after I'd woken her up. "Is this a decent time for you to be sneaking out? Where are you going anyway?"

I shrugged. "Just the Astronomy Tower," I mumbled, ignoring her as she shouted insults after me.

The Astronomy tower was one of my favorite places in the entire castle. Standing on the balcony, I could see all the grounds. I could see Hagrid's hut, the lake, the buildings in Hogsmeade, the pumpkin patches, that demented tree Ron was always going on about. It was the only place that I could get away and just enjoy the beauty of the castle. I planned on just sitting up there, enjoying the view, relaxing. Maybe for once I wouldn't worry about what my dreams meant, if my memory would ever return, or if I was going to pass my classes this year. I could just unwind. And nobody would be there to bother me.

"Who's there?" a soft voice demanded as I climbed up into the Astronomy Tower. _So much for nobody bothering me_, I thought.

"Harry," I replied, trying to make out the distant figure in the background, "and who are you?"

As I stepped closer, the figure in the distance came into view. She was a pretty girl with long, silvery blonde hair and pale blue eyes. She blinked several times, taken aback by my appearance. "Harry...Harry Potter?" she gasped.

"That's me," I said, "and you are?"

"Not important...what are you doing up here?" she asked, frowning.

"Just came up here to think," I told her.

She stared at me for several seconds, studying my expression. "Yeah, me too," she finally sighed, sitting back down. Hesitantly, I sat down a few feet away from her.

"So," she said quietly, turning to look at me, "you're Harry Potter."

"And you still haven't told me who you are," I reminded her.

She looked at me appraisingly. "Rosaline," she finally said.

"Rosaline," I tested it out. She nodded. "Well," I sighed, "it's nice to meet you, Rosaline."

She smiled. "You too...are you always this polite?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. I've lost my marbles, haven't I?"

She laughed. "And you're straightforward too."

I smiled, liking her laugh. It was sweet and gentle.

"Want some?" she asked, holding up a bottle of firewhiskey.

"No, thanks. I don't drink much...well, at least, I don't I do..."

She nodded. "Neither do I. Ultimate good girl, that's me. Never broken a bloody rule in my entire life."

"Except for tonight," I pointed out.

She nodded. "Except for tonight."

"Why?" I wondered.

"Because I'm a stupid girl," she muttered, "I thought that somehow, if I pushed hard enough, my parents could work out their issues. Maybe they wouldn't get divorced. I thought it could work, especially since they were getting along so much better last summer. But nope! They were just waiting until I left for Hogwarts to officially end things."

"I'm sorry," I said quietly.

She smiled. "Thanks."

We sat in silence for several seconds. "It's stupid," she said quietly.

"What's stupid?"

"That I would care so much. I mean, it's not like I'm some silly little child. Next year, I'll be an adult. I won't even be living in the same house as them. It's stupid that I would care so much. I mean, compared to what you're going through, it seems like the silliest, most trivial matter in the whole world."

"It's not silly," I told her seriously.

"And how do you know?"

"If something makes you this upset, then I reckon it must be serious."

She stared at me. "You're being very nice."

"Why wouldn't I be?" I frowned.

"Because I'm some random drunk girl crying at the top of the tower, babbling about unimportant things."

I nodded, slowly reaching out for the firewhiskey bottle. "Yeah, maybe you shouldn't drink so much..."

She allowed me to take the firewhiskey away from her. "Thanks," she mumbled.

I shrugged. "You don't seem like the kind of girl that drinks."

"I'm not," she admitted.

"Erm...does it make things better?" I asked, staring at the bottle of firewhiskey in my hands. "The drinking...does it help?"

Her pale blue eyes met mine, and she held her gaze for several long seconds. "No," she finally whispered.

I looked down, breaking our gaze. "I thought so," I muttered.

"Look, Harry, no matter what you're going through, I wouldn't resort to drinking. You'll get your memory back...I'm sure of it."

I sighed. "How can you be so sure? You don't even know me."

"True, but I do know how much your friends care about you. Everyday, in class, I can see the way they take care of you and look after you. And this summer, in the news, I read all about how Harry Potter's friends were out looking for him. If I had friends like that, I'd never be up here in this tower by myself."

"You're not by yourself," I told her, "you're with me."

She smiled. "You know what I mean."

I stepped out into the balcony, resting against the rails, peering at the grounds before me. "All of this...the woods, the lakes, the people...I don't remember any of it. Nothing. It's as if a complete stranger has taken over my body. Those people you were talking about...my friends...they're brilliant people. But they're not my friends. They're Harry Potter's friends."

I felt her beside me. "But you are Harry Potter."

I glanced at her. She was gazing at the grounds too, the wind blowing her soft hair, her pale blue eyes were wet and twinkling under the moonlight, and she looked almost angelic.

"No," I finally managed to say, "I'm not."

She frowned slightly. "That," she said, "is the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

I stared at her, thunderstruck. "Excuse me?"

She crossed her arms, turning to face me. "You know, all my life, I grew up hearing stories about how powerful and heroic you were. Then, I came to Hogwarts, and I saw first hand how kind and and brave you really were, and I finally understood why you were so famous. Everybody in this school watched you save lives and stand up for your beliefs. You're basically a star in this school-"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed. "The old me could do all of that! The new me...well, I can barely even hold a wand the right way."

"You didn't let me finish," she said crossly, "look, you're basically a star at this school, but that's not why everybody loves you. From the moment you arrived here, you've always been kind...to _everyone_. You've always been respectful of others, and you've never gotten a big head over all the accomplishments you've made in nearly six short years. That's why everybody loves you...it's for your kindness. And coming up here tonight, listening to some silly girl complain about her family, consoling that girl...that's just about as kind as it gets. You may not have all his memories, but you're definitely Harry Potter."

I stared at her, dumbfounded. "Erm...I never realized..."

"Besides," she continued as if she didn't even hear me, "I hear you've got some of your memories back. The rumors say you remember Ginny Weasley."

I smiled, thinking of Ginny's easy smile. "Yeah, I remember her...well, it's more like I remember flashes of who she is. Small things, you know?"

"Like what?"

I shrugged. "There's this one memory of her...she's wearing all green...irish colors. Anyway, she's laughing and cheering, and just for a moment she glances over at me. And she grins...like a real grin too. Like one where her whole face lights up and it makes you feel all warm."

Rosaline smiled. "You must really like her."

I nodded. "I do. Ginny and I...we have this connection...it's something I've never felt with anybody I've met so far. It's like...she's the only one that can understand me, that knows why I think the way I do and why I do the things I do. It's hard to explain..."

"She means a lot to you," she observed.

"She does," I said.

"Don't worry," Rosaline said confidently, "if the two of you are meant to be, then I'm sure it'll happen. Besides, I don't think she and that boyfriend of hers are that serious. What's his name again?"

I stared at her. "No, no, it's not like that. I love Ginny, but not like that...she's my best friend, almost like a little sister. I'm happy for her and Dean. They seem really good together."

She blinked, surprised. "Oh, I didn't realize. It just sounded like you really fancied her."

I shook my head. "She's brilliant, and she's bloody fit...but it's not going to happen between her and me."

Rosaline shrugged. "So, what's really bothering you? I mean, I know you didn't just come all the way up here to talk to me."

I frowned. "I've been having this really strange dream...I don't know...I thought it might mean something."

"Maybe it does."

"Well, it's really late, and I don't want to wake up Dumbledore or anything...it's stupid..."

"There's only one way of finding out, right?"

"You really think I should tell him?"

She shrugged. "You just complained to me about not having your memory...maybe this dream _is _a memory. Maybe it's something important. And if it's not, then you really haven't got anything to lose. Right?"

I frowned. "I reckon so, yeah."

She nodded. "I should probably be getting back to bed...this hasn't exactly been a good night for me..."

I nodded. "Erm...yeah, thanks again."

She smiled before leaving. "Yeah, you too."

I watched her slowly climb back down, her long hair swishing behind her.

* * *

Luna shook her head disapprovingly. "Harry, you really must keep the Blibbering Humdingers away."

I turned to Ginny. "What is she talking about?"

Ginny and I watched as Luna swatted away invisible creatures. Ginny frowned. "I don't really know."

Sighing, I turned my attention back to Ginny. "Why aren't you two at breakfast anyway?"

"We came looking for you," Luna said dreamily.

"Me? Why?"

"Neville told Luna that you left last night and never came back," Ginny replied, crossing her arms.

"I fancied a drink, that's all," I muttered.

Ginny raised her eyebrows at me. "You had that dream again, didn't you?"

"Daddy did a series once on the meaning of dreams," Luna informed us, "if your dream contains any type of squid-"

"That's great, Luna," Ginny said, cutting her off. I stared at Luna, wondering which parent was to blame for dropping her on the head as a baby. "Harry," Ginny said seriously, "you need to tell Dumbledore."

"I already did," I sighed, "last night."

"You did? Well, what did he say?"

"He thinks its a memory trying to come back to me," I told her, watching the mass of students walking to class. In the distance, I saw the familiar face of a very pretty girl with silvery blonde hair and pale blue eyes. Rosaline was walking with a group of other girls laughing. Today, she seemed very well put-together. Her robes were perfectly pressed and clean. Her hair was perfectly combed and she looked refreshed. But what struck me the most was her easy smile and the happy laugh escaping her. It was nice to see her look so happy. I watched her walk by, and she didn't even notice me staring. She just kept chattering on easily with her friends.

"Hey, Gin," I said, "you see that girl over there? The one with the blonde hair. Do you know her?"

Ginny frowned, craning her neck into the direction I was pointing. "'I've never personally met her, but she's in your year. Her name's something like Rosie or Rhonda."

"Rosaline," I corrected.

"Do you know her?" Luna asked. "She seems very nice."

"How would you know she's nice? Have you ever even met her?" Ginny asked.

"The Blibbering Humdingers seem to really like her,' Luna replied.

Ginny caught my eye, and we both looked away quickly, grinning.

"Well, I don't know what the Blubbering Hummingbirds have got to say about her, but she gave me some really good advice last night," I told them.

"Blibbering Humdingers don't speak, silly," Luna said, amused.

"Right," Ginny said, turning away from Luna, "maybe you should thank this Rosaline girl." Ginny told me, a small smile on her face.

I shook my head. "It's not like that. I don't fancy her."

Ginny frowned, taken aback. "I wasn't saying you did...Blimey, Harry, do you like this girl?!"

"Well, I definitively like her more than I like Cho."

Ginny looked at me uncomfortably. "What's the matter?" I asked. "I thought you wanted me to see other girls."

She forced a smile. "Of course. I just want you to be happy."

"We should really get to class," Luna said, checking her watch. Luna was watching Ginny, an odd expression on her face.

"Yeah, I've got charms," I muttered, getting up.

"Yeah, well, we have Snape next," Ginny countered, linking arms with Luna.

"Tough luck," I sighed, "Snape always looks like he's swallowed stinksap or something."

Luna giggled. "That's funny."

Ginny gave me a small smile. "See you later, Harry."

* * *

As I walked into Charms, Ron and Hermione waved me over. "We saved you a seat, mate!" Ron called, ushering me over.

I spotted Rosaline sitting by herself, an empty seat beside her. She appeared to be engrossed in her notes, muttering something under her breath. "Actually, I think I'll see you sit here today," I told Ron, plopping beside Rosaline. Ron looked confused until he noticed Rosaline beside me. He gave me a knowing smirk before turning back to the front of the classroom.

"This seat's not taken, right?" I asked Rosaline quietly. She glanced over at me and nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Harry!" she gasped.

'Yeah, listen, I really wanted to thank you for the advice you gave me last night. I went to Dumbledore and he was actually really helpful. And you were right about Ron and Hermione. I'm really lucky to have them," I told her.

She blinked. "Oh...erm...yeah, no problem. Listen, about last night. I'm so humiliated...I've never had a drink in my entire life. And I can't believe you met me while I was so sloppy and stupid. And I'm sorry that you had to console me. Really, truly, I'm nothing like that. I'm not the kind of girl who just drinks whenever she feels like it. I swear."

I laughed. "It's alright. I believe you."

She sighed in relief. "Still, though, it's really humiliating."

"You weren't that drunk," I pointed out.

"But I was still drinking. I know better than that. I know it's wrong."

"Hey," I told her, "every teenager goes through their phases. I'm sure loads of kids in this school are ten times worse than you. Anyway, even in your alcoholic state, you still managed to really help me."

"That's good, I guess," she said, smiling.

"Anyway," I said, clearing my throat, "I guess this now makes us friends." I held out my hand for her. She stared at it for several seconds. "Erm...this is when you shake it," I told her.

She smiled, taking my hand. "Friends," she agreed.

* * *

**Hello, everybody! I just really wanted to thank you for reading and leaving all those wonderful reviews! They really mean the world to me:D**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! **

**-Summer4Girl**


	12. The Order's Meeting

**Chapter Twelve: **

**The Order's Meeting**

* * *

**Remus Lupin**

* * *

I stared ahead at the empty chair in front of me.

"Remus," Tonks said tentatively, "are you okay?"

"That's where he used to sit," I said gruffly.

"Sirius," she guessed, her eyes softening understandingly.

"After he died, Harry disappeared, and we were so preoccupied with finding him...I never got a chance to really mourn..."

She opened her mouth to say something, but Mad-Eye cut her off. "Albus and Severus are here. The meeting can begin."

My fists clenched as Severus took Sirius' usual seat. Tonks slid her hands into mine under the table, and I shot her a small smile. It wasn't that I had a problem with Severus. He provided me with Wolfsbane for an entire year, and I was extremely grateful. But seeing a man that Sirius hated so much sitting in his spot, I couldn't imagine that Sirius would have been pleased with the idea. It was childish to feel such anger for Severus, especially since we were no longer children at Hogwarts.

Albus cleared his throat. "Well, to start things off, I think we should discuss Harry...put some of your minds at ease..." He shot me a small smile before continuing on. "I've been meeting with Harry once a week, and he's been making progress. It's slow, but it's progress nonetheless. I've had Ron, Hermione, and Ginny reporting to me too. Ginny says that Harry's trying his best to return to normalcy, that he's interacting well with other students and attempting to get to know his old friends again. Hermione's been helping him with schoolwork, but I do fear he may fall behind."

"Knowing Harry, he'll find a way to catch up," Molly said confidently, "he hasn't let us down yet."

Across from me, Severus' lip curled into a sneer. "Problem, Severus?" I asked politely.

"Remus!" Tonks hissed.

"Not at all," he said contemptuously, "it just seems that some of us have ill-conceived notions of Potter's academic capabilities."

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked sharply.

"Potter may have accomplished some remarkable magic, but that is all due to sheer luck and friends with much more talent than him. Potter's just like his father. He's insufferably arrogant. He'll think he's better than all of his little friends just because he hears some stories about his fame-"

"That's enough, Severus," Dumbledore said sharply.

Minerva glared at Severus. "I disagree, Severus. Harry's a talented boy."

"Are you really worried he'll fall behind?" Molly asked, turning to Albus. "Oh, Albus, he won't fail his NEWTS next year, will he?"

"There's only so much Hermione can do," I said, "she's a brilliant witch, but she's got her own studies to worry about too." I turned to the stern looking witch beside Albus. "Minerva, could you work with Harry? He has always respected and admired you...I think you could help him."

"Of course," she said tartly, looking offended that we hadn't asked her sooner.

"Good," Dumbledore smiled, "now that we've got that settled, I want to discuss what happened the night Harry disappeared."

"I thought _you _were supposed to discover that," I said coolly, turning to Severus.

He looked at Dumbledore. "There have been complications..."

"Complications?" Kingsley barked.

"It seems that it was never the Dark Lord's intent to take Potter from Privet Drive...he feared Dumbledore too much. Nevertheless, he had his guards patrolling the area, at least patrolling as close as they could without penetrating the blood wards." Severus explained, looking bored.

"And when Mundugus left, the death eaters approached Harry?" Dedalus frowned, confused. "But I thought they couldn't go into Harry's home."

"When Harry and I spoke to Arabella, she said that Harry was at a park a few blocks away from the house. The park is not part of the Dursley home," Dumbledore told us.

Arthur nodded. "So anybody could go into the park..."

"Death Eaters specifically," Tonks sighed, "and with Dung ruddy leaving, Harry was an easy target."

"Right so the Death Eaters got him and took him to Voldemort-" I ignored as the others hissed at the sound of Voldemort's name. "-then what happened?" I demanded, looking at Severus.

"That's where the complications begin," Severus drawled.

"It seems that after Harry was captured, he was taken to Malfoy manor," Dumbledore told us.

"But we checked Malfoy's a dozen times!" Arthur cried incredulously.

"He was only there for about four hours before he somehow escaped," Snape told us.

Minerva smiled proudly. "He escaped?"

"Yes," Severus muttered, "the Dark Lord was furious. He didn't want anyone else to know that the boy escaped him once more."

"That's why it took Severus so long to find out what happened," Dumbledore said, "he had to pry the information out of Narcissa Malfoy."

Severus nodded. "From there, we have no idea what happened to Potter."

I sighed. "So we've basically figured nothing out. We still don't know how Harry ended up in New York, all traces his memory completely modified."

"Well, obviously somebody must have taken him," Elphias said, "I mean, who else would have modified his memory?"

"I agree." Tonks nodded. "Harry's talented, but he was trapped in a house full of death eaters. A house with Bellatrix Lestrange! Somebody had to be there to help him escape."

"I wouldn't underestimate, Harry," I told her.

"You think somebody got to him after he escaped?" Dedalus inquired.

"I think the more important question is who," Arthur said.

"Maybe it iz ze same person who kidnapped that Mundugus," Fleur exclaimed.

Bill frowned, considering this. "Could be...but are we so sure that Dung was kidnapped?"

Elphias scoffed. "I still say he's hiding, too scared to come out and face Lupin!"

I looked at Dumbledore, wondering what his opinion was. "What do you think?" I asked him.

"I don't think Mundugus would hide out this long," he said quietly.

"So, we continue the search for him?" Kingsley asked.

Dumbledore nodded. "The same rotation this week."

"Actually," I piped up, "it's a full moon this weekend. I'll need somebody to take over Saturday for me."

"I'll do it," Bill volunteered. Mrs. Weasley and Fleur looked at Bill anxiously.

* * *

"I hate him," Bill thundered an hour later, after most of the members from the Order had left.

"Dumbledore trusts him," I reminded him.

"Doesn't mean I have to like him," Bill said contemptibly.

"Well, I don't like him much either," Tonks muttered.

"Nymphandora-" I began.

"Tonks!" she cried. "I told you, I hate it when you call me that."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine, _Tonks_, we don't have to like him. He's done a lot of work for the Order, and we have to be grateful for him."

Bill glared at me. "You're telling me that you actually _like _him? And after the way he treated Sirius!"

"Severus and I will never be friends. There's too much bad blood there. But I must always remember that he provided me with Wolfsbane for an entire year, despite our past," I said placidly.

"But then he told everybody you were a werewolf!" Tonks cried.

"It would have come out eventually," I said, brushing it off.

"Are you telling me that you didn't get the least bit annoyed when he sat in Sirius' spot?" Bill asked, raising his eyebrows.

I winced, remembering my childish behavior. "It did bother me slightly," I admitted, "but only because of how Sirius would have reacted with Severus sitting there."

"Deener iz ready," Fleur announced, prancing into the living room.

Bill smiled up at his fiance. "We'll be there in a second."

"I should really get going," I muttered, checking my watch.

"Oh, come on, Remus, stay for dinner," Bill offered.

"It would be lovely!" Fleur smiled graciously.

I shook my head. "No, it's been a long night. I should get going."

"I'll go with you!" Tonks offered, jumping up.

I shook my head. "No, no, you stay. I'm not much company right now."

Her face fell. "Oh, alright then."


	13. Waiting

**Chapter Thirteen:**

**Waiting**

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

It's interesting how you could spend years wanting to strangle someone, and then suddenly that someone is the only person you can think about. I watched Ron grin, his face turning red, as Lavender laughed hysterically at something he had said. Out of the corner of his eye, Ron caught me staring at them. He smirked at me, and I huffed, turning away. Ginny was watching me, shaking her head.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," she sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what he sees in Lavender," I grumbled, gesturing to the tall red-headed boy and the skinny girl with long, dirty-blonde hair.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Maybe he doesn't see anything in her at all."

"You're probably right. The only reason he fancies her is because she's been giving him so much attention. I bet that if it were Seamus that Lavender was fawning over, Ron wouldn't look twice at her. Hmph!"

"Oh, you don't know how right you are about that," Ginny muttered, the corners of her mouth twitching.

We sat in silence, and I wondered why I felt such a burning hatred for Lavender as she smacked Ron playfully. Ron just smiled, but his eyes kept flickering over to me. I guess, deep down, I'd always had feelings for Ron, but they were buried underneath our constant bickering and fighting. But when Harry went missing over the summer, our bickering and fighting stopped. Ron and I had grown closer, and I had realized how much I cared about him. Ginny glanced at me, a knowing smile on her face.

"Maybe," Ginny said quietly, "you should try to give Ron as much attention as Lavender gives him...let him know you care..."

I opened and closed my mouth. "Maybe," I said, "you should do the same with Harry."

She blinked. "I don't know what you're talking about."

I glared at her. "Don't lie to me Ginny Weasley. You never really stopped having feelings for him, did you?"

She turned away, staring out the window. "I thought I had..."

"Then tell him!" I cried, shaking her shoulders.

She shook her head. "I'm with Dean."

"It's not fair to Dean if you still fancy Harry," I pointed out.

She bit her lip. "And it wouldn't be fair to Harry if I still had feelings for Dean. Look, I never stopped caring about Harry, and maybe I never will. I'll probably always have feelings for him, but at the same time, I really like Dean. He's brilliant...and he's treated me so well. Even though I still care about Harry, I also still really care about Dean. I'm not ready to end things with him just because Harry temporarily forgot about Cho." I opened my mouth to protest, but Ginny jumped up suddenly. She tucked her hair behind her ear and forced a smile. "Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm with Dean, and it looks like Harry might be interested in that Rosaline girl. She's nice, and Harry deserves a nice girl."

I watched her walk away, joining a group of her friends. They easily welcomed her in, already filling her in on the joke as they laughed. Ginny smiled easily and laughed as they told stories, but her eyes were far away.

Sighing, I turned my attention back to Ron and Lavender. Lavender was chattering away as Ron listened. Well, at least attempted to listen. I noticed his eyes traveling around the room, and I knew he was bored. He was just pretending to listen in order to be polite, which was odd since Ron wasn't a very polite person to begin with.

"Harry!" he called as Harry climbed through the portrait hole. He muttered an excuse to Lavender and ran after Harry. Tossing my bag onto the loveseat, I joined the two of them.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Harry smirked. "Ron's avoiding Lavender."

"She never stops talking," he complained, shaking his head, "it's enough to drive anyone mad."

"Why didn't you just come talk to me?" I wondered.

His ears turned red. "You were talking to Ginny."

"So?" I frowned.

"Look, why are you asking me so many questions?" he demanded. "I have to go!"

Harry raised his eyebrows, and the two of us watched as he marched up to his dormitory.

"I don't think he's avoiding Lavender," I said, turning to Harry, "I think he's avoiding _me_."

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Don't be silly. Why would he be avoiding _you_?"

I shrugged. "I don't know..."

"Well, I was just with Rosaline," he announced, changing the subject.

I smiled. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, she's been helping me with History of Magic homework...there are so many bloody goblin names to remember. Who can keep count?" he sighed miserably.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Rosaline lately," I observed.

He shrugged. "We're friends."

"You and Ginny are also friends," I pointed out.

Harry stared at me. "Where is this going?"

I shrugged. "Nowhere."

He glared at me. "I lost my memory not my brain, Hermione. What are you trying to say?"

"I just think that you and Ginny would make a good couple."

"Ginny has a boyfriend," he pointed out.

"I know. I'm just saying," I shrugged. "Whatever...hey, what are you doing tonight?" I asked, sensing that I was making Harry incredibly uncomfortable.

He thought about it. "Well, before tryouts, Ginny was going to teach me about Quidditch. She's hoping I'll remember it. You wanna come?"

I shook my head. "Quidditch is Ginny's territory. If you need any help with Potions or Transfiguration, call me, but not Quidditch."

He grinned, shrugging. "Well, if you change your mind, we'll be heading out there around five before it gets too dark."

I nodded as he inched toward the stairs. "Alright. See you at dinner then."

"See ya," Harry muttered before traipsing up.

"When do you think Ron's coming down?" Lavender asked.

I glanced at her, annoyed. "I don't know."

"Oh," she said, looking crestfallen, "Well, if he comes down, tell him me and Pavarti went down by the lake...maybe he'd like to join us..."

I nodded with no intention of telling Ron anything. Grumbling to myself as Lavender and Pavarti walked away giggling, I turned around and went to my own dormitory.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"Quidditch...that sounds fun," Rosaline said distantly, scribbling down notes.

I grinned. "Ginny says I'm a natural...I'll get the hang of it in no time."

"You were an excellent player before," she agreed.

"Well, Dumbledore made me captain...so, I _have _to be good. I can't embarrass my team. Especially Alicia and Katie...they're depending on me."

She smiled. "Don't worry. Ginny's a brilliant player. She filled in for you last year after Umbridge banned you."

"Did she?" I asked, impressed. "Who's Umbridge?"

"Horrid woman." I turned to find Cho standing behind me, her hands on her hips.

"Cho," I said, surprised.

"Umbridge was the temporary headmistress last year," she informed me.

"Harry can't know too much," Rosaline piped up, remembering the conversation she and Ginny had had a few nights ago about being careful what they said around me.

"I know," Cho snapped, her eyes narrowing at Rosaline.

"Oh," Rosaline mumbled, turning a furious shade of red.

I grimaced apologetically at her.

"So," Cho said, turning to face me, "I heard you were made Quidditch captain this year."

"Co-captain," Rosaline corrected.

Cho acted as if she hadn't heard Rosaline. "I'm looking forward to playing against you again."

"You play Quidditch too?" I asked, surprised.

"I'm a seeker," she announced, smirking.

"Have we ever played each other?" I wondered.

"Once in your third year," she reminded me.

"Oh, right...I'm sure I'll remember..." I muttered.

She grinned. "Well, I would offer to help, but you're the enemy team so..."

"Ginny's helping him!" Rosaline said, attempting to join the conversation.

Cho acted as if Rosaline wasn't there, cocking her hips. "Well, I'll see you later Harry!" She hesitated. "And remember what I said? I'm not giving up."

"Giving up on what?" Rosaline asked as Cho walked away.

I sighed. "On me. She wants to get back together."

"Oh," she said awkwardly.

"Yeah," I sighed, just as awkwardly. "Well, I should go," I told her, getting up.

"Bye," she mumbled, already turning back to her work. I trudged outside, checking my watch to make sure I wasn't late to meet up with Ginny.

"Harry!" somebody grabbed me harshly.

"Cho?" I asked, frowning.

"What's going on with you and that blonde girl?" Cho demanded, her dark hair looking disheveled.

"Rosaline? What! No, no...it's not like that. We're friends."

She didn't look convinced.

"Look, Cho, it's none of your business anyway. We broke up. And I'm sorry, but I don't want you to wait for me. I want you to move on."

She blinked, attempting to hold back her tears. Blimey, this girl cried a lot. "I can't, Harry," she moaned.

"I want you to because...well, because I don't feel anything for you. Not like I feel with- " I stopped myself before I said Ginny's name.

"With who?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing past me to Rosaline. "Her?"

"Nobody," I told her firmly. "Look, just move on, okay? I don't fancy you...I don't even really _know _you...I-I'm sorry."

A few tears trickled down her cheeks, but they were tears of anger not sadness. She crossed her arms, looking furious. "Fine," she huffed, stalking away. Distantly, I heard a distinct sob, but I had to keep going. I made my way down the field where I found Ginny bent over her broom, carefully polishing it.

"Boo," I whispered in her ear, making her jump about ten feet in the air, shrieking.

"Don't do that!" she cried, smacking me as I tried to control my laughter. She glared at me, crossing her arms. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost." I choked out between fits of laughter.

"I hate you," she muttered, fighting a smile.

"Is it just the two of us?" I asked when I was finally done laughing.

She looked around. "Yeah...Alicia and Katie promised to be here tomorrow though."

"Sounds good," I agreed, "How do we start?"

"Well, first I want to make sure you're comfortable with a broom. You can't play quidditch if you can't fly," she informed me.

"I don't have a fancy broom like you," I told her.

She raised her eyebrows, handing me her impressive black broom. "This is yours."

My eyes widened, holding the beautiful broom in my hands. It was sleek and impressive with _firebolt _written in the corner.

"It's brilliant," I gasped.

"Best broom in the world," she acknowledged.

"Really?"

"It was a gift."

"From who?" I asked, wondering who cared enough about me to get me the supposed 'best broom in the world.'

There was a spasm of pain that crossed Ginny's face before she quickly covered it with a smile. "Just a friend. Anyway, you ready to get started?"

I nodded. "I can't wait."

"Okay, well, I guess we'll start with the basics. Put your broom on the ground and stand beside it...good...now, place your hand over the broom, and say 'up.' Now, remember to say it firmly..." she instructed.

I stared at her, smiling at how easily this whole Quidditch stuff came to her. "What?" she demanded.

"Nothing...are you sure you're qualified to teach me this, though?" I asked, grinning.

She glared at me. "Harry, you may be good, but don't forget that I'm just as good. In fact, I bet I kick beat your skinny arse at this game any day."

"That's not fair...I forgot how to play!"

"Excuses," she said listlessly.

"Fine, when I learn to play, you're on, Weasley."

She raised her eyebrows. "You sure about that, Potter?"

I confidently placed my hand over my broom, hoping desperately that I was as good as they said. "Up!" I commanded and watched in amazement as the broom flew into my outstretched hand. "Wow," I gasped, grinning at Ginny's shocked face.

"You did that on the first try?"

I nodded. "Yeah...hey, I think I'm getting used to this whole magic thing..."

"Harry, that's not just magic...you have to have skills to be able to control a broom..." she told me.

"And you said I couldn't do it," I said smugly.

She took her eyes off my broom and looked at me. "Don't get too confident. You haven't even flown it yet."

"Okay, tell me how."

"Okay, put your leg over it...that's it...now I guess we could just try hovering first...on the count of three, hover..."

"How do I do that?" I asked, panicking.

She smiled. "Just do it...you're the great Quidditch player, aren't you? I'm sure hovering will come easy to you."

I glared at her. "You're enjoying this too much."

"Well, I never thought I'd be teaching the great Harry Potter something as simple as hovering. Ready? One-two-three...Harry! Blimey, you're doing it!" she cried as I was lifted a few feet into the air.

Confident with my abilities, I took off, zooming around the field. Below me, Ginny was cheering, amazed. I ignored my surrounds, allowing the breeze to ruffle my messy hair, allowing the butterflies in my stomach melt away. I loved every second of it. I loved the soft whistle of the air as I zoomed past it. I loved the adrenaline rush coursing through me as I flew higher and faster.

When I finally landed, Ginny came running towards me; she had a hard, blazing look on her face as she threw her arms around me. I welcomed her embrace, spinning her around eagerly.

"You did it, Harry! That was amazing!" she gasped as I settled her back onto the ground.

"Amazing enough to beat you?" I asked very aware of the fact that her arms were still around my neck.

She grinned. "Don't get cocky. I can still kick your arse."

"Prove it," I challenged. She smiled, her hair blowing in the wind. I wasn't sure if the chills down my spine came from Ginny's arms still around me or the soft breeze that went by, but I loved the feeling.

"Maybe I will," she said softly, her eyes piercing into mine.

I smiled, pulling her closer.

"Harry," she whispered painfully, placing her hands on my chest.

"Ron's been pushing me to ask out Rosaline," I told her, "but I've been waiting."

"Why?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"You know why," I said.

We were both silent. I waited patiently for her reply. She looked down at her feet. "I think you should ask out Rosaline. She's a nice girl," she finally said, pulling away from me.


	14. The Truth Comes Out

**Chapter Fourteen:**

**The Truth Comes Out**

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

"So, then what happened?" I demanded.

Ginny sighed, resting her long, pale legs on my lap. "So, then I told him he should ask out Rosaline."

"Well, why would you do that!" I said furiously, flicking her.

She sat up, rubbing her arm. "Ow, what did you do that for?"

"You like him, he likes you! What's the problem?"

Ginny examined her arm, where a small pink spot was visible. "I can't believe you flicked me."

"Ginny!" I cried furiously. "Why did you do that?"

"I told you! I love Dean. Okay, I'm with Dean. _Dean_. Not Harry."

"But you want to be with Harry," I pressed.

"No! I don't know! All I know is that both Harry and Dean don't deserve this. I'm Dean's girlfriend, and the least he deserves is somebody who stays faithful to him. And as for Harry, he deserves way better than me! I can't even decide which bloke I like better. And Rosaline's a great girl. Loads better than Cho."

"So, you're not jealous?" I asked doubtfully.

Ginny tried to hide her pained expression. "No...well, maybe a little...but I've dealt with it before. I'm sure that as soon as Harry realizes he's attracted to Rosaline, he'll forget all about me. And things will go back to normal."

"Normal? Ginny, how is this even the slightest bit normal? Harry has lost his marbles, Ron has been avoiding me for Merlin knows what reason, Dumbledore has Harry fishing around Slughorn's private life, you can't chose between Harry and Dean, and Voldemort is going around killing people!" I ranted.

Ginny sat up, moving her legs off my lap. "Hold on, go back. Dumbledore has Harry fishing around Slughorn's private life?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore wants Harry to get close to Slughorn, but for what reason, we have no idea." I frowned. "Didn't Harry tell you?"

She wrapped her arms around her legs. "No...we haven't really spoken since I told him he should go out with Rosaline...he's been avoiding me..."

"Yeah, because he's crazy about you, and you broke his heart," I snapped.

Ginny glared at me. "Once he realizes that he actually likes Roasline as more than just a friend, I'm sure he'll forget all about me."

"What makes you think he likes Rosaline?" I asked, frowning.

"Because I know Harry," she mumbled sadly.

I watched her sorrowfully, wondering why she thought Harry fancied Rosaline.

"Besides," she added, "it's not like it would last between me and Harry."

"What in the world makes you say that?"

"Because once he gets his memory back, all his feelings for Cho...they'll come hurtling back. He'll forget all about me. The only reason he feels this way about me is because I'm the only person he can remember. I'm the only person he's familiar with..."

I didn't know how to respond to this, because a part of it was true. Harry and Ginny would be perfect for each other; I'd known this fact for years, but Harry was too caught up in his lust for Cho to ever realize it. We sat in silence, pretending to read the books in front us.

"Well, at least you know why Harry's avoiding you. I have no idea why Ron's avoiding me. He'll barely look me in the eyes...it's so strange...and he keeps flirting with Lavender..." I muttered, attempting to change the subject.

Ginny stared at me, a look of wonder on her face.

"What?" I asked, running my finger through my hair self-consiously.

"Nothing. It's just that for somebody so incredibly smart, you're also so incredibly dense."

"What are you talking about?"

Ginny straightened up. "Okay, Hermione, I can't believe I actually have to spell this out for you. Ron, my annoying twat of a brother, _fancies _you."

I rolled my eyes. "Ginny, don't be silly."

"Oh, no, I'm not being silly. He told me and Harry."

I opened and closed my mouth, surprised by the warm feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. The last time I felt this remotely happy was when I had met Krum, but even that didn't compare to the pleasure I was feeling just then. "He told you?" I asked, a smile growing on my face.

"Yeah, why do you think he's been giving Lavender so much attention. He's been trying to make you jealous. Honestly, the two of you are so stupid."

I stared at her. "He's been trying to make me _jealous?_" The warm feeling in my stomach slowly began to fade.

"Yeah...you didn't honestly think he fancied _Lavender_, did you?"

"I-I have to go," I muttered, jumping up.

Ginny grinned. "Going to talk to Ron?"

"Oh, yeah," I replied, throwing my books in my bag.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"Avis," I shouted, waving my wand like Ron taught me. Nothing.

"You'll get it eventually, mate," Ron said encouragingly.

I shook my head. "It's too advanced..."

"Mate, trust me, if I can do it, so can you. It's just that you don't remember all your years of training. Plus, you don't have your wand."

I tossed Dumbledore's old wand onto the bed. "I wonder where it is."

"Are you sure it wasn't in Privet Drive?" Ron asked.

I nodded. "We looked everywhere. It wasn't even under the loose floorboard. Who knows what happened to me this summer...it could be anywhere," I sighed.

Ron frowned, standing up. "Loose floorboard?"

"Yeah," I said, suddenly remembering all the rubbish in the pocket of one of my uniforms. "Hang on a second," I muttered, digging through my clothes. I pulled out the cloak, dumping out all of the contents from my trip to Privet Drive. On my bed, there were several old quills, a piece of old parchment paper, and several letters from my friends.

"Hey, I never got around to reading these," I said, opening them up.

Ron snatched the piece of old parchment paper, a mesmerized look on his face. "Harry, I thought you'd lost this."

"Lost what?" I frowned, staring at what I thought was old rubbish in his hands.

"This," he announced dramatically, "is your father's legacy."

"My father's legacy is some rubbish parchment?" I asked, confused.

"Rubbish?" Ron gasped, looking offended. "Harry, this is the reason we get away with so much. That and your invisibility cloak."

"My invisibility what?" I spluttered, my head spinning.

Ron looked at me sadly. "Remus found your invisibility cloak months back, but he didn't let us keep it. Said he'd give it back to you when you got your memory back."

"A cloak of invisibility," I gasped in wonder. "Then what's that?" I demanded greedily, staring at the parchment in Ron's hands.

"Just wait," he said, pointing his wand at the map. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said clearly. We both stared as the parchment transformed into a map of the castle, little moving dots demonstrating everybody's location. I found mine and Ron's dots on the map. I noticed Hermione's dot not far off. She appeared to be moving quickly, headed for the common room.

"_Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs are proud to present the Marauder's Map_," I read aloud. "Who are they?" I wondered, the names sounding oddly familiar.

"The creators of the map," Ron answered obviously.

I watched as Hermione's dot climbed through the portrait hole. "Looks like Hermione's headed up here..."

Ron turned red. "I should go..."

I rolled my eyes. "When are you going to stop this thing with Lavender and tell Hermione the truth?"

He was about to answer when the door behind us banged open.

"Hello, Hermione," I said, seeing her dot on the map.

"How'd you know it was me?" she asked.

"We found the map!" Ron exclaimed, waving it in the air like it was some sort of trophy.

I turned to find Hermione blinking. She looked torn between wanting to celebrate and wanting to yell. Ron seemed to notice she was upset too.

"I should get going," he muttered.

"No," she said sharply, her voice slicing through the air. "I need to talk to you. Alone."

Relieved that I wasn't in trouble, I took the letters I had found in my cloak. "Right then, I'll leave you two at it."

Ron threw me a look, but I just shrugged, giving him a grimace.

"_Right then-_" Hermione hissed as I carefully closed the door behind me.

* * *

_Dear Harry, _

_I know you probably don't want to talk about Snuffles, but just know that I'm here if you need me. I'll be ready to listen whenever you're ready to talk. I know you went through a lot last term, and it must be very painful for you. But I'm begging you, don't shut us out. We want to be here for you. Write me back when you get this. I want to hear all about how your summer's been so far. _

_Love, Hermione._

* * *

_Harry, _

_Things at the Burrow have been busy. Mum's driving us all mad, and she's been on the edge since Fred and George left school. Still, though, I keep thinking about Snuffles. I miss him a lot, and I guess you must miss him even more. If you need a friend to talk, you know I'm here. Mum and Dad are working to get you here as soon as possible. They hate the idea of you spending too long with your aunt and uncle. Hope that dopey cousin of yours isn't giving you too much trouble._

_-Ron_

* * *

_Dear Harry, _

_I hate that we ended the year so badly...I just hope we can work things out before the end of summer. I know you don't feel the same way, but I do love you. It hurts me so much that you couldn't trust me yet you trusted Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom. I understand the Weasleys and Hermione, but the other two? Honestly! I would think that you would trust me, your girlfriend, more than you would trust Neville and Luna. We should be able to talk about everything. Write me back. I want to know how your summer is so far. I can't wait until we get to see each other again. I'm sure we can work through any of our issues. _

_Love you, Cho._

* * *

_Harry, _

_Hey! Hope you're having a good summer so far! Not that I can imagine having a decent summer with your family around. Don't worry, though, Dad's already working on bringing you here. Anyway, your sneakoscope must have accidentally ended up in my bags. Sorry if you were missing it. _

_See you soon, Ginny_

_P.S. Did you hear? The Chudley Cannons lost AGAIN?! They've officially lost every game this season! Don't mention it to Ron, though, unless you're willing to sit through an hour's worth lecture. _

* * *

I frowned, wondering who this Snuffles person was. I read on, hoping as the letters continued, I would get some clues. But they all seemed to be the same. Hermione kept telling me that I could talk to her about Snuffles. Ron kept reassuring me that I wouldn't be stuck in Privet Drive long, while he occasionally dropped hints about this Snuffles character. Cho, on the other hand, kept complaining that I didn't trust her enough. It seemed as if Ginny was the only one who varied her letters. She wrote to me about different Quidditch teams, school, Dean, the shenanigans of Fred and George...

"What are you reading?"

I looked up to find Ginny standing over me, smiling at me hesitantly.

"Ginny," I mumbled, acknowledging her.

"Harry, are you avoiding me?" she asked sadly. I knew she was thinking about that night at the Quidditch Pitch.

"Who's Snuffles?" I asked her, avoiding the question altogether.

The color in her face drained, and her eyes widened. "Why are you asking me that?"

I held up the letters. "Letters from last summer."

Relief washed over her. "So you don't remember him?"

"I'm trying to," I muttered.

"He was just...a friend," she told me vaguely.

"A friend?"

"A friend who gave you your broom," she hinted, giving me a small smile.

I nodded, stacking away the letters, my mind reeling. I was determined to find out who this Snuffles bloke was. He seemed to have been very important to me. And judging from the letters, something really bad must have happened to him.

Beside me, Ginny sat down, drawing me away from whatever else I was thinking about. All I could think about was the sweet smell of flowers that seemed to follow her and the way her smile was so easy and beautiful. "Do you hate me?" she asked softly.

I blinked. "I could never hate you."

I watched, grinning, as a wide smile spread across her face. "Good. So, we're still friends?"

"Course we are," I told her, not having the heart to tell her how much it hurt to hear she didn't want to be with me.

"Good," she said, taking the letters from my hand. "Merlin, Harry, you sure did get a lot of letters for only being in Privet Drive for two weeks."

"Most of them are from you," I pointed out.

She grinned. "We had a lot to talk about."

"Like the Chudley Cannons' losing streak?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "The only way they'll win is if they replace their entire team and down several cauldrons of felix felicius. Honestly, I don't know why Ron likes them so much."

I smiled, wondering what on earth felix felicius was. Briefly, I remembered Professor Slughorn mentioning something about it in class.

"You want to go to dinner?" she asked.

"Sure," I replied, glancing down at the map in my hands. Ron and Hermione were still in the dormitory together, and I did not want to break up whatever fight they were having. Maybe it would settle, once and for all, all the weirdness between the two.

"Maybe you can tell me who made the team," Ginny suggested.

I looked at her. "You're going to have to wait and see who made it just like everybody else. The list will be up tomorrow morning."

"How about you blink once if I made it, and blink twice if I didn't make it," she suggested.

"How about you wait like everybody else?" I countered.

"You're no fun," she grumbled. "What's the point of being friends with the captain if I don't get a little heads up."

"Co-captain," I corrected her.

"Just until you get your memory back," she reminded me.

"Which may be never," I pointed out.

"Or it could be tomorrow," she opposed, "you never know."

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

* * *

"Right then," Hermione hissed as Harry closed the door behind him, "it seems that you are a total and complete _idiot_, Ronald Weasley!"

"What did I do?" I wondered, thinking back to the past twenty-four hours.

"You used _Lavender _to make me jealous?" she accused.

I gulped, attempting keep my cool. "Did it work?"

"Does it matter?" she shouted furiously.

I grinned. "So, it did work."

"Ronald, if you had feelings for me, then you should have told me! Not make me feel like a fool while you slobbered all over another girl!"

"I made you feel like a fool," I sighed, flattered.

"I hate you!" she growled.

"You don't," I said, grinning.

"No, I really do," she hissed.

"No, you really don't," I told her, grabbing her arm. I pulled her forward, wrapping her around my arms. Without thinking about it, I brought my face down to hers, my lips softly caressing hers. She didn't respond at first, standing there shocked. But as I began to pull away, I felt her arms wrap around my neck as she brought herself closer to me. She ran her fingers through my hair, kissing me harder. I lifted her up enthusiastically, not believing that this moment was finally here. Her lips fitted against mine perfectly, and they were so soft. Finally, after what felt like eons, she finally pulled away, breathing heavily. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but she was smiling.

"So..." she said.

"So..." I replied, unsure of what else to say. I could feel my face burning.

"What now?" she asked.

I held out my hand for her. "Dinner started a few minutes ago..."

She grinned, taking my hand. "Good. I'm starving."

"Me too."

She rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry."

We walked out, hand in hand, occasionally catching each other's eyes and grinning. My face was slowly returning to its normal shade, but Hermione's cheeks were still slightly pink. Harry was gone, his stack of letters abandoned on the couch. The map, I noticed, wasn't there. It was probably safely tucked away in Harry's pockets.

We travelled down the empty hallways silently. At first, I racked my brains, trying to think of something to say; but as time went by, I realized it was a comfortable silence. Hermione wasn't expecting me to say anything. She just glanced up at me, a small smile on her face. I relaxed, squeezing her hand gratefully. I couldn't believe this was finally happening. I had dreamed about this for years, wished that one day Hermione would look at me in the same way she had looked at Krum. I couldn't believe this was finally happening, after so long.

As we opened the doors into the Great Hall, a few heads turned, staring pointedly at me and Hermione. I pulled her closer, proud to be holding the hand of Hermione Granger. Distantly, I saw Lavender Brown. She looked affronted, and I felt a pang of guilt. I shouldn't have lead her on, but I was too happy with Hermione by my side to really care. When Ginny noticed us, she began clapping loudly. Harry and Dean followed in her lead, and soon the entire school was cheering us on.

"It's about time, you know," Luna told us matter-of-factly as we passed her.

Hermione beamed, blushing furiously. I could feel my own face turning red, and I knew I probably resembled a tomato. But again, I didn't care. Not as long as I had Hermione by my side.


	15. Quidditch Practice

**Chapter Fifteen:**

**Quidditch Practice**

* * *

**Ginny Weasley**

* * *

Crossing my fingers, I stepped around Cormac McLaggen, who was turning a dark shade of red. He kicked the wall, stomping away.

"Looks like bad news for McLaggen," Dean muttered nervously beside me.

"Yeah..."

"You look," he said, turning away from the list and facing me.

I peeked past him, where a piece of parchment was hanging from the bulletin board. I pushed past him, ignoring the cries of 'hurry up' from the crowd behind me as I scanned the small list, noticing two _Weasleys _written on there, but no Dean Thomas until the very bottom.

"You're on reserve," I told him, my finger resting on his name. I watched as the hopeful smile on his face faded slightly. "Dean, I'm sure you'll still get to play. If one of us is ever sick, you'll fill!" I attempted (and failed miserably) to cheer him up.

"So, you made the team, eh?" he asked, elbowing me slightly. I grinned, unable to contain myself. "That's great!" he said, forcing a smile. I allowed him to give me a quick kiss, but we were quickly pushed out of the way by other hopefuls.

"I wonder if Ron's seen this yet," I muttered, standing on my tippy-toes, scanning the room for the trademark red hair of a Weasley. I found him pushing through the crowds, Hermione following nervously behind him.

"Ron!" I called, waving him forward. He turned to look at me, pulling Hermione along behind him. "We did it! We both made the team!" Relief washed over his face, and he gave me a thumbs-up.

"We should go to breakfast," Dean said at once. I nodded and followed him out the portrait hole. Before I left, though, I glanced back to see the reactions of my fellow teammates as they learned they made the team. Katie was clapping Ron on the back, congratulating him. Harry was talking to the new Beaters, a wide grin on his face. I felt a small pang of longing, wanting to join their celebration, but then I remembered Dean and his sad smile. With a flip of my hair, I turned back around.

We were quickly joined by Seamus on the way down. He was rambling on about the tryouts, and I listened politely. I didn't mind Seamus' constant company. In truth, he was actually quite funny, and he knew when to give me and Dean some privacy.

"Didn't make it either?" he asked us bitterly.

"Nope," Dean sighed miserably.

I flicked him. "Yes you did! You're a reserve chaser!"

Seamus glanced at his best friend. "Well, that's something, mate! You might get to play after all!"

Dean shook his head. "I don't think so. The only one of us that's going to get any real playing done is Ginny." He wrapped his arm around me, smiling proudly.

"You made the team!" Seamus yelped.

I couldn't help but smile. "I'm a chaser!"

"Potter's playing favoritism!" Seamus accused. "Ron made the team too!"

I turned my head to look furiously at him. "We made the team because we're actually _good players._"

"And I'm not?"

"Obviously not," I retorted.

"Listen here-"

"Seamus!" Dean barked, throwing his friend a dirty look. Seamus closed his mouth, and turned to stare ahead grumpily. I spotted Luna near the entrance, and hurried over to her.

"Save me a seat!" I called back to Dean.

"Hello," Luna smiled upon seeing me.

"Hey," I mumbled, following her to the Ravenclawe table.

"You look rather pleased today," she observed.

"You're looking at Gryffindor's newest chaser!" I announced happily.

"Ooh! You made the team! That's very exciting, you know. I've also decided to participate in Quidditch!"

"You have?" I asked her in disbelief with the image of Luna wildly swinging at a bludger in midair, her blonde hair flying around her like Medusa.

"Professor McGonagall's letting me be the commentator for the game next month," she told me.

I stared at her in disbelief. "Luna, do you know anything about Quidditch at all?"

"Oh, yes," she said earnestly, "Daddy did a whole series on the Chudley Cannons a few years back."

"That's Ron's favorite team," I told her.

Luna's eyes widened. "Oh, well, then he must know they're not really Quidditch players. They're actually former bankers on the run from goblins. Stole goblin gold, and then refused to pay for it. They're just posing as Quidditch players as a disguise. You know, hiding in plain sight..."

"You know," I said thoughtfully, "that actually makes sense. I mean, no Quidditch team could be that bad unless they weren't really a team."

Luna nodded seriously. "Oh, yes. I'm surprised the goblins didn't get to them after Daddy printed his article...they must have been fooled again..."

I allowed Luna to voice her crazy theories, because, well, that was the best way to handle her.

"Oh, there's that Rosaline girl you're so jealous of," Luna suddenly whispered.

"I'm not jealous of Rosaline!" I exclaimed, feeling my face burn.

"She's with Harry," Luna informed me. I turned my head in the direction she was staring at and saw Harry walking alongside Rosaline. The two of them talked, smiling and laughing until Rosaline made her way to the Ravenclawe table. Harry watched her for a second before turning around and joining his own friends.

"See," I said in my best _I told you so _voice, "he fancies her."

Luna shrugged. "He fancies you more."

I glared at her. "I'm with Dean!"

"Only because you're too scared to admit you actually care about Harry as more than just a friend."

I stared at Luna. It was in these small moments that I realized Luna wasn't a complete air-head. In fact, Luna wasn't an airhead at all. She was probably the smartest person in this whole school. With her dangling radish earrings and her butterbeer cork necklace, you could never guess just how wise she truly was. She knew things that nobody else did; she could see things that nobody else could. Sure, loads of her ideas were complete rubbish, but she also had moments like these, where it seemed as if she could read your mind.

"I'm not scared," I whispered softly, looking around to make sure nobody heard.

"He deserves to know why you don't want to be with him," Luna told me, taking a bite of her toast.

I looked back at Harry. He was sitting beside Ron and Hermione, talking enthusiastically, his hands waving around wildly.

"I wonder what he's talking about," Luna said.

"Quidditch," I told her knowingly.

"How do you know?"

"It's the only thing that brings a smile to his face nowadays. Usually, he just fakes it."

Luna nodded. "I noticed. Harry's not very good at pretending to be happy. You know, the only time I see him look like his old self is when he's out there playing Quidditch...or when he's with you..."

I sighed, ignoring what she said about me. "He's going to be miserable until he remembers the past. It's making him mad that he can't. Not that I blame him. I'd be pretty upset myself."

"You should talk to him," Luna advised.

I frowned. "About what?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, but whenever you talk to him, it seems to make things slightly better."

I looked at her dubiously. "I reckon I could talk to him after Quidditch practice today..."

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"And boom! Out of nowhere, Peakes sends the bludger hurtling across the field! Absolutely brilliant!" I exclaimed.

"They were good at tryouts, then?" Hermione asked politely, though I could see she was growing bored of our constant talk of Quidditch.

"Not as good as Fred and George," Ron said fairly, "but they were pretty decent."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Luna and Ginny talking intently. Occasionally, Ginny would turn to look at me, a sad smile on her face. I would give her a small smile back, but usually she would already be turning back to Luna.

"There's Rosaline, Harry," Dean cackled from across the table.

I felt my face burn. "Why would I care?"

"Oh, come on," Seamus scoffed.

"She's decent looking," Ron said fairly. He glanced nervously at Hermione, but she was reading the _Daily Prophet_, absorbed in whatever new disappearance or killing there was this week.

"We're friends," I told them.

Seamus rolled his eyes. "Just like the old Harry. Didn't it take you weeks before you finally got the courage to ask out Cho too? Some Gryffindor..."

Dean elbowed his best friend. "At least _she _said yes."

"Not at first, no. She was all gaga for Diggory, remember?"

"Diggory?" I frowned.

Dean and Seamus froze. Ron threw them a look of contempt before turning to me. "Nobody, mate."

I stared at them, wondering who this Diggory person was. Was he a friend? A rival for Cho? Did he go to this school? Was he sitting in this very room and I didn't even realize it?

"The point is," Seamus said, "why don't you just ask Rosaline out?"

I didn't answer, my mind flickering to a certain girl with fiery red hair and bright brown eyes that often sparkled when she was excited. The truth was, I couldn't even look at another girl until I got Ginny out of my mind. Sure, Rosaline was pretty and we got along really well, but it was Ginny. The way she laughed, the way she smiled, the way her hair danced around her as she walked, the way she crinkled her nose when she studied, the way she rolled her eyes or always muttered something sarcastic under her breath, the way she stood up for what she believed in, the way she defended her friends to no end. It was Ginny for me, and sometimes I feared that it would always be Ginny. I glanced quickly at Dean, who was watching me expectantly, waiting for my answer. No matter how much I hated it, Dean really was good to Ginny. Anyone could see that they cared about each other. And the worst part was that Dean was actually a good guy. It made it so much harder for me to hate him when he was so nice all the time.

"Rosaline's brilliant," I finally told them, "but I don't reckon she's the one for me."

Seamus rolled his eyes. You're not asking her to _marry_ you."

Dean glared at his best friend. "If Harry doesn't want to ask her out, then he shouldn't." He gave me a small smile before returning to his breakfast. If he only knew about the way I thought of Ginny, I'm sure he'd have a very different opinion concerning me and Rosaline.

"I think it's a good idea," Ron piped up. "What do you think, Hermione?" he asked, nudging his girlfriend.

Hermione peered at us over her newspaper. "Think about what?"

"Rosaline and Harry," Seamus replied, waggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes.

Hermione gave me a meaningful look. "I think you should get a certain answer first before you start anything you're not ready for."

Ron and I exchanged confused looks, trying to decipher what exactly is was that Hermione meant. Of course she would speak in bloody riddles. That was such a Hermione move. Finally, Ron shrugged and turned away. He and Dean began talking about Snape's essay, and how they'd barely gotten anything done. Hermione was still looking at me, though. I raised my eyebrows questioningly, and in reply, very quickly, her eyes flickered to Ginny.

* * *

I loved Quidditch. In my opinion, it was the best sport in the world. Way better than football or cricket. I mean, how many sports have flying brooms and golden snitches? I loved the rush I got as I streaked across the field on my broom, the wind ruffling my hair and whistling in my ears, the blurry figures zooming around me...

But mostly, I loved the familiarity of it. Unlike Potions or Charms, flying came naturally to me. It was something familiar. And besides Ginny and the memories she brought, I couldn't recall the last time I actually remembered something about this magical world I suddenly woke up in. It felt brilliant to finally feel something familiar, to finally remember my past. I could remember the first time I ever rode a broom. I was little, maybe about ten or eleven. Hermione and Ron were there. Along with them, was a class full of my classmates, eagerly holding their brooms. I remembered taking off, chasing a blurry, red ball in front of me. I remembered my triumphant catch, the cheers of my classmates beneath me. It was brilliant, the feeling of flying. I felt free, like for those few moments, all my energy was thrown into catching a fluttering golden ball, and not on trying to defeat the darkest wizard of all time and trying to get my memory back as to why I'm the one who has to defeat him.

I could even remember playing Cho all those years ago. I remembered being embarrassed, flustered by how pretty she was. I remembered the tiny butterflies in my stomach, and the way my heart quickened when I saw her streaking across the field.

I remembered floating, cloaked things surrounding me. I remembered all the happiness being sucked out of me before a big black nothing happened, and I was falling. I remembered almost every moment I ever played Quidditch. I remembered the cheers, the laughs, the excitement, the frustration...

Slowly, very slowly, I was getting my memory back. Quidditch brought back so much for me. It brought me new memories of Ron and Hermione. It brought me memories of my team. At the same time, I knew there was loads I didn't remember. For instance, I couldn't remember Fred and George ever being on the team. Or being kicked off the team. Or whoever this Oliver Wood bloke was. It ate away at me as I tried forcing these memories out.

"What do you think?" Katie asked, flying beside me. I had flown away, watching my team practice, analyzing every move.

I glanced at her. "They're good," I commented.

She nodded. "Yeah...but they need work..."

"Cooke...he's good at the Bludger Backbeat. I think we should have him work with Peakes on that. It could definitely come in handy during a real game. And they move really well together. I think with a bit of training, the two of them could pull off a Dobblebeater Defense," I told her.

She stared at me, impressed. "Harry, who told you about those moves?"

I shrugged. "Nobody...I just know them, I guess..."

She smiled. "I guess, you never really forgot them in the first place. They were still there, you just had to dig a little deeper to find them."

I grimaced. "I just wish I could remember everything else as easy."

"You will," she assured me.

"What makes you think that?" I asked.

She smiled. "Because you sound like the old 'Harry.' What you just said about Peakes and Coote...only Harry would be able to see that. Well, Angelina and Oliver probably could have too, but still. It's very captain-like. You're not completely gone, Harry. You're still in there somewhere."

I grinned. Katie had been amazing in helping Ginny train me up for Quidditch. The two of them had been extremely patient, especially when I kept forgetting the names of everybody who signed up to try out. "Thanks, Katie."

"Anymore tips?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Ron, who had just let in another quaffle.

"He's just nervous," I assured her.

"Well, he can't be nervous when we play Hufflepuff next week. Work with him, will you? You're his best friend. I'm sure you'll be able to get through to him."

I nodded. "I'll try...see! Look, there! He just blocked one!"

Katie nodded, and we watched as Ron gained his confidence back. In truth, Ron was a really good keeper as long as he kept his confidence up. If he ever accidentally let one in, his confidence would shatter, and he'd allow quaffles to fly in easily. Grinning, I watched as his confidence soared as he blocked another hard one from Ginny.

"The chasers are good this year. Demelza needs a bit of work controlling her broom, but I'm sure that'll improve with more practice," Katie murmured.

"You'll know all about that," I grinned at her, our star chaser.

She blushed. "Ginny's very good too. I think I could work with her...teach her some new moves and tricks. I think she'd be brilliant at Woollongong Shimmy. I also want to teach the girls the Hawkshead Attacking Formation."

A large smile spread across my face. "If we perfect that, could you imagine the faces of the other team?"

"I can't promise anything...but Demelza and Ginny are very promising. Alicia, Angelina, and I perfected it last year. I don't know how good I'd be with the two of them gone..." she muttered uncertainly.

"The three of you are brilliant...just work with them. It won't hurt to try," I told her.

She nodded, checking her watch. "Merlin's pants! It's nearly four! The team must be starving. It's nearly dinner, and we never had lunch!"

I blew the whistle, signaling the team to meet me on field. Katie and I zoomed down, landing easily and awaiting the rest of the team.

"Is it over?" Peakes asked hopefully, his stomach growling just in time. He blushed, embarrassed.

Katie and I exchanged guilty looks. "Sorry, we lost track of time," she told them apologetically.

"We'll meet here again tomorrow," I informed them.

"Harry and I were able to assess what were your strengths and weaknesses. Now, we know what we'll be able to work on tomorrow," she announced.

"Brilliant," Ron sighed, his pale face a tinge of pink.

"Good game, everybody!" Katie called out cheerfully.

"You okay, mate?" I asked Ron after everybody started heading toward the locker rooms.

"I was horrible, wasn't I?" he moaned.

I shrugged. "You weren't too bad. Just work on boosting your confidence a bit. You play your best when you feel sure of yourself."

He sighed. "Okay, thanks..."

"Don't worry. By the time we play Hufflepuff, you'll be more than ready." I assured him. He nodded and we walked in silence back to the locker rooms.


	16. The Second Choice

**Chapter Sixteen: **

**The Second Choice**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"Where are we going?" I asked, following as Ginny marched across the field, leading me to the lake, her red hair swishing behind her.

"Just to sit by the lake," she said, glancing at me. "It's a nice day today," she commented lightly, walking ahead of me, her hair still damp from her shower. It appeared as if she had just thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Yet, to me, she looked more beautiful than all of the other girls out here with their make up and hair done. She finally came to a halt at the edge of the lake. I followed in her lead as she dipped her feet in the water, her eyes closed as a breeze blew her hair slightly.

"So why exactly did you interrupt my shower and drag me over here?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

She opened her eyes, looking at me seriously. "I need to talk to you," she said.

"Okay," I said slowly, my curiosity growing.

She looked away again, staring distantly at the water, watching as several mysterious water creatures poked their heads out of the water. "Do you remember when the Chamber of Secrets was opened, Harry?" she asked, her eyes still on the water creatures as they bobbed around the lazy lake.

I nodded. "I remember seeing you there...you looked like you were _dead..._you _were _dying weren't you?"

She grimaced. "Yep."

"It's one of the few memories I wish I didn't have...why are you asking me this?" I wondered.

She paused. "Do you remember anything else about that year?"

I grinned. "I remember you fancied me."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, of course, _that's _what you remember," she muttered.

I glanced at her. "I've been remembering other stuff too, you know..."

She stopped, staring at me. "Really?"

I looked at her; I hadn't told anybody about remembering Quidditch yet. Not even Dumbledore. "Ever wonder why Quidditch comes so easily to me, even after I lost my memory?" I finally asked her aloud.

She opened her mouth, gaping at me. "You bloody tosser. You lose your memory and you can still remember Quidditch?"

I laughed. "You're just jealous you're not as good of a player as I am."

She raised her eyebrows. "Hey, I can play two positions, remember? I was seeker _and _chaser. Might I remind you that you can only play seeker."

I rolled my eyes, the corners of my mouth twitching. "Whatever, Ginny."

She grinned, smacking my arm. "Well, tell me exactly what you remember!"

"Loads...but not everything," I told her, "but it's all coming back. Slowly, but it's coming back nonetheless."

She smiled at me triumphantly. "That's brilliant, Harry, really. No wonder you look so happy when you play!"

I nodded. "It's something familiar, you know? It's like, finally some part of me is coming back!" I told her excitedly.

She frowned. "But then why haven't you told anybody?"

I looked away from her, turning my attention back to the mysterious water creature popping its head in and out of the ocean. "I don't want to get their hopes up, I guess. I mean, they'll be expecting me to remember more and more, but what if that doesn't happen?"

She squeezed my hand, sending tiny tingles down my spine, and I turned to look at her. "I won't tell anybody, but you really need to say something, Harry. Maybe they could help..." Ginny paused, taking her hand off mine and looking away again, staring morosely at her reflection in the water.

"So...erm...what exactly did you want to talk to me about, anyway?" I asked.

She blinked, still staring at her reflection. "Nothing...it's just...why do you think you could only remember anything when you saw me?"

I shrugged, watching her expression closely. "I don't know...I've been wondering about that loads lately...hey, why are you suddenly asking me this? Did something happen?"

She shrugged. "No...it's nothing, I guess...Harry did I ever tell you about how Dean first asked me out?" she questioned, turning her body so that she was facing me.

"No." I shifted uncomfortably. Honestly, I didn't want to hear all about how romantic and amazing Dean was.

"It was only a few hours after Michael and I broke up. Anyway, Dean had overheard me and Michael fighting, and he came over to try and comfort me because he thought I'd be all sad."

"And you weren't?" I guessed.

She scoffed. "Of Michael being a baby because we beat him in Quidditch? I don't think so. I was more like _pissed off."_

I cracked a small smile. "There's a surprise," I said sarcastically.

She glared at me. "_Anyway_, he tried to comfort me, and we really got to talking, you know? We just instantly clicked...Dean...he's really something, yeah?"

I nodded begrudgingly. Because no matter how much I hated it, Dean really was something. He was proving to be a brilliant friend, and he treated Ginny amazingly. As much as I hated to admit it, he deserved Ginny just as much as I did.

"Well, that's a really interesting story and all, but..." I trailed off, noticing the odd expression on Ginny's face. "What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing...Harry, you do like Dean, don't you? I mean, you two used to be friends before the incident," she said, referring to my memory loss, "but sometimes, you're a bit cold towards him..."

"Am I? Well, I don't mean to be. Dean's brilliant, even if he is ruddy at Quidditch."

Ginny grinned, rolling her eyes. "Okay, Mr. Captain, if you're so good let me see you do the Wronski Feint next game," she challenged, cocking her hands on her hips.

I raised my eyebrows. "Done."

She stared at me dubiously. "You do realize that nobody has managed to pull one off until they make it to the big leagues, right?"

"So I've read," I replied.

Ginny waited for me to back out, and when I didn't, she grinned wickedly. "Care to make it a bit more interesting, then?"

A small smile crept on my face. "What do you want?"

"Five sickles," she proposed fairly.

"How about one galleon, and you have to to tell everybody that I'm a better player than you," I countered.

"And if you lose?"

"Not likely."

"It's hypothetical."

"Well, then, I'll announce to the entire school that Ginny Weasley is a better Quidditch player than me," I promised.

"Don't forget the galleon," she reminded me.

"And I'll give you a galleon," I agreed.

She threw her head back, laughing. I smiled slightly, watching as her fiery red hair danced around her, and the sun lit up her eyes so that they almost sparkled. "Nice try, but you are so going to lose," she exclaimed, grinning, "_Nobody's _been able to pull of a Wronski Feint since-"

"Ginny," I cut her off, "I need to tell you something." She looked up at me expectantly, a small smile on her lips. "I'm in love with you," I blurted out before I could chicken out again. She stared at me, blinking several times, her mouth in the shape of a perfect "o," stunned. "You don't have to say anything," I told her quickly, "I know you don't feel the same way. I just...I really needed you to know..." I allowed her a few more seconds of stunned silence, letting her absorb this new information..

"I-I," she began, "I...I don't...Harry, I never intended to lead you on...we're friends...I never...I'm so sorry if you took something the wrong way. It was never my intention..." she trailed off, speechless.

"It's okay," I assured her, "I didn't really expect anything..."

She bit her lip. "The thing is, Harry...I-I feel the same way about you..." She took my hand, locking her eyes with mine. "I love you, too."

My heart soared, and before she could say anything else, I was kissing her. And she was kissing me back. And it was everything I imagined it would ever be. Until she pulled away from me.

"...but I'm with Dean," she whispered, her head buried in my chest.

"I know."

"I really care about him," she told me, looking up to meet my eyes.

"I know you do."

"And I'm not breaking up with him," she said, untangling herself from me.

"Why not?" I asked numbly, fully expecting this the moment she pulled away.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "Because, how can I be sure you'll still feel the same way about me when all your memories come back? When all those feelings for Cho are remembered? How do I know you'll still care about me?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Is that what you've been worried about?"

"It's a legitimate concern!"

"Ginny, I love you. I'll always love you. Merlin, Ginny, you're not just the girl I'm in love with, you're my best friend. It'll always be us...the two of us. I can promise you that."

She blinked several times, trying to hold back the tears threatening to escape. She looked away from me. "You an Cho were in love before Harry, and you just forgot about her. Dumped her like it all meant nothing. How do I know you won't do the same to me?"

"That was different!"

"How? You can hardly remember your own name. How are you going to remember what you had with Cho? Or more importantly, what you have with me?"

"It's different with you. Ginny, I _remembered _you. You're the one person I can't seem to get out of my head, and there has to be a reason for that."

Ginny didn't look convinced. Instead, she met my gaze, allowing a tiny tear to trickle down her cheek. "God, I wish that were true, Harry." She stood up on her tiptoes, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. "Dean deserves better than this. It can't happen again," she whispered in my ear before pushing past me, walking away quickly. I wanted to go after her, but I didn't know what else I could say. How could I prove to her that she meant more to me than Cho?

* * *

The day seemed to go by even slower than usual. Everywhere I went, I seemed to run into Ginny and Dean, but they didn't even notice me. Since our talk, Ginny seemed to have taken it upon herself to become a better girlfriend. Dean, loving the new attention she was giving him, looked absolutely ecstatic. Every time I saw them together, I would slowly back away, a sharp pain in my chest.

"You really love her, don't you," said a dreamy voice beside me. I glanced sideways. Luna was peering up at me, her big, round, protuberant eyes staring into mine, almost in a child-like way. She had put her long, blonde hair into a sloppy bun with a quill sticking out of it. Meanwhile, her wand was put behind her left ear for safekeeping, and she was wearing a rather eye-catching pair of Dirigible plum earrings.

"I'm sorry?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone," she reassured me.

"Thanks," I replied dully, already turning around. Dean and Ginny had just arrived into the Great Hall, hand-in-hand. Luna followed me, looking around the castle in interest as if she hadn't walked through these hallways everyday for the past six years. "How long have you known?" I asked her.

"Since last year," she replied simply, while closely examining a portrait.

I stopped. "Last year?! I thought I was dating Cho last year!"

She looked at me. "You were."

"I'm confused."

She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm telling you, it's because of the Wrackspurt. What did you do with the Spectrespecs I gave you for Christmas?"

"Dunno...memory loss, remember?" I told her, shrugging.

She shook her head. "Don't worry. I'll have Daddy send over new ones. They do seem to have taken quite a liking to you."

"Right. Luna, what was that about me and Ginny?"

She frowned. "What about you two?"

"What makes you think I...you know...cared about her last year?"

She smiled slightly. "It was in the way she...understood you. I knew you didn't know it yet, but it was there. She was the only one to get through to you when you thought you were being possessed by," she lowered her voice, "_You-Know-Who_. I mean, she only mentioned it me, but I could tell it was a great relief to you. Plus, she was the one you came to when you needed to talk to your godfather so desperately last year."

"My godfather? Who's that?" I asked curiously. Briefly, I imagined Remus. He'd mentioned he had been best friends with my dad once before. And he seemed very protective of me...

Luna shrugged. "I never met him personally."

I stared at her, knowing there was more than she was letting on. But she just looked away dreamily, a glazed expression covering her protuberant eyes.

"Well, it's too late. She doesn't want to be with me...she'd rather be with Dean."

"She does like Dean very much," Luna agreed.

"Great pep talk, Luna."

"But she likes you more," she added, ignoring my previous comment.

"She's too scared to date me," I told her.

Luna sighed. "I know...not that you can blame her, really. She's fancied you for years. Not that you ever cared."

I stared at her. It was the first time I'd ever heard anger, let alone seriousness in Luna's voice.

"You can't be mad at me for something I don't remember doing," I told her defensively.

"I'm not mad," she said, her voice returning to its usual dreaminess, "I just don't like seeing Ginny hurt."

"Yeah, well, I'm the one that's hurt this time," I grumbled.

Luna put her hand on my shoulder. "Ginny still loves you, you know."

I gave her a small smile. "Not enough, I guess."

Luna shook her head. "No...just give her time. She'll realize how silly she's being."

"Can't you talk to her?" I asked hopefully.

"I have...but you know as well as I do that Ginny won't listen to anybody."

I sighed, knowing it was true. Ginny was just too damn stubborn. I'd told her how I felt. Now, it was her turn.

* * *

_I looked down, clutching my stomach. I grunted in pain, realizing my bloody hands. Slowly, the blood trickled from the tips of my fingers, the red blood staining the perfectly white snow. I shuddered at the sinister image. Something so pretty and pure-looking as snow being tainted by something so dark and gruesome. I felt another sharp pain in my stomach, and I fell to the ground. I couldn't even feel the bitter cold. All I could think about was the pain coming from my stomach. _

Rolling over, I sat up. "Ron!" I whispered loudly, throwing a pillow at my snoring best friend.

"What?" he groaned, burying his face into the pillow.

"I had the dream again," I told him.

"About the snow...and the blood?" he asked.

"Yeah...I wonder what it means...I keep having it..."

"I dunno, mate," he said, half-asleep. The news of my strange dream had been exciting at first, but as everybody realized we had no idea what it meant and I wasn't getting anymore memories from it, people quickly became bored with my dream. Ron and Hermione didn't seem to want to talk about it nearly as much as I did, things between me and Ginny were still a little awkward, and Rosaline seemed to be more concerned with how I was coping with the dream rather than what it actually meant. Only Dumbledore and I still cared about the actual memory behind the dream. We had tried several different exceersizes to get me to remember, but nothing worked.

"I think I'm going to go to the Astronomy Tower for a bit," I told Ron.

"Bring your cloak," he advised, already falling back asleep.

I grabbed my cloak, throwing it over me as I traipsed down the stairs. The Astronomy Tower had become sort of a safe haven for me. It was quiet, and relaxing, and I could go up there whenever I needed to think.

"Good night," said a soft, familiar voice. I stopped in my tracks, inches away from Ginny and Dean. They were embraced at the foot of the stairs, staring dreamily into each other's eyes.

"Good night," Dean replied, leaning down to kiss her.

I walked around them, grateful I was covered by the invisibility cloak. I hardly even noticed when I got to the Astronomy Tower, my mind still filled with the nauseating site of Dean and Ginny.

"Harry?" said a curious voice. I looked around to find Rosaline staring in the opposite direction, squinting her eyes at nothing. "Is that you?"

"Right here," I told her, pulling off the invisibility cloak. "What are you doing up here?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "Couldn't sleep...and you?" she asked, gesturing for me to sit beside her. "What's wrong?" she demanded upon seeing my face.

"I had the dream again," I muttered.

She nodded. "I'm sorry...but now tell me what's _really _bothering you."

I sighed, resting my head against the wall. "I saw Dean and Ginny."

"Ginny," she sighed, "of course."

I frowned, glancing at her. She had rolled her eyes, resting grumpily against the wall. "What? Do you have a problem with Ginny?" I wondered.

"No, I have a problem with you!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"Me? What did I do?"

"Harry, you need to move on from her! She shot you down _weeks _ago. Frankly, I'm a bit tired of having Ginny dominate every conversation we have."

"Sorry," I said, bewildered.

"You should be!" she snapped, crossing her arms. We sat in silence for a few moments. "Sorry about that," she finally mumbled apologetically.

I shrugged. "It's my fault...I didn't realize I was so obsessive over Ginny."

She grimaced. "You're not...it just really sucks for me to see you so upset. I care about you, Harry. And I really like Ginny. She's brilliant, but don't you think it's time to move on? I mean, it's obvious she's not ready to break things off with Dean."

I smiled. "You're a good friend, Rosie."

She glared at me. "I told you not to call me that."

I laughed. "No, but, really, you've really been there for me, and I appreciate it," I told her, realizing something at that moment.

She smiled, giving me a small peck on the cheek. I stared at her as she began to back away. Without thinking about it, I pulled Rosaline into my arms.

"Harry-" she began, but I cut her off, leaning down and kissing her. She pulled away quickly. "No...I don't want to be your rebound, Harry..."

"Rosaline, listen to me for a moment, okay. You have been there for me so much over the past couple of weeks. You're not just a rebound."

"But Ginny-" she protested.

I sighed. "I still have feelings for her, I'm not going to deny it. But I really care about you too, Rosaline. And I know you care about me too."

"I don't want to just be your second choice, Harry."

"You're not," I promised her, though for some reason, Ginny's smiling face popped into my head.

Okay," she sighed, taking my hand, "Okay."


	17. The Rat in the Dark Room

**Chapter Seventeen:**

**The Rat in the Dark Room**

* * *

**Dean Thomas**

* * *

I smiled, gazing at the girl with flaming red hair sitting across from me, her nose scrunched up in concentration as she studied the piece of parchment in her hand. The past couple of weeks had been going great for us. We'd talked more, laughed more, and smiled more than we had in our entire relationship. I didn't know where Ginny's newfound interest in me was coming for, but there was no way I was going to complain. We'd been happier than ever. A few weeks ago, I sometimes worried we would break up. She had been cold and withdrawn, barely paying any attention to what I said, finding excuses to not go on dates, easily getting irritated with the things I said...

Actually, sometimes, I even got the inkling suspicion that she still fancied Harry. The two of them often seemed to be in their own little world that they created together. She was always happiest when he was around. And I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't' make me slightly uncomfortable. Thankfully, though, it seemed to have just been a phase. I figured that since Ginny was the only person Harry remembered, I guess he took comfort in having her around; and Ginny, being Ginny, wouldn't stay away from him when she knew how much it helped him to have something he recognized. It was all very touching, really.

At least, I thought so. When I told Seamus my theory, he laughed.

"Dean, you bloody twat," he snickered, "You're obviously losing your girl to Harry. Not that I can blame her. The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, after all. All the girls have gone gaga over him. Plus, the whole memory loss has got him the sympathy card."

"Not Ginny," I shook my head, "she wouldn't do that to me."

He looked at me pityingly. "The heart can't control what the heart wants, Dean."

I stared at him. "What are you on about now?"

"I've always told you that Ginny was taken with Harry," he reminded me.

"Ginny's not cheating on me!" I hissed.

"Of course not! But can you honestly tell me that a part of you doesn't think she still fancies him?"

I never forgot that conversation, because what he said to me then really sank in. I always worried that Ginny might still have feelings for Harry, but now, I realize, I was an idiot. Ginny was all over me, and she and Harry had hardly hung out in weeks. In fact, Harry was dating Rosaline now. I felt like a fool for ever doubting Harry and Ginny.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Ginny demanded, still studying the piece of parchment in her hand. She didn't even look up at me as she spoke.

"Erm...nothing..."

She glanced up at me in half annoyance. "The playbook, Dean. The playbook," she reminded me.

"Oh, yeah!" I exclaimed, digging through my backpack. "You know I still don't see why I have to learn that thing. It's not like I'll be playing anyway."

"You're still reserve, though. If something happens to one of us, then you'll need to fill in. And if you don't know the playbook, then what the ruddy hell use are you?" she demanded, tapping her finger on the table impatiently.

"Relax, Gin. The game's still a few days away, and it's against Hufflepuff. You'll cream them." Nearby, a fuming Hufflepuff scoffed at my remark and stalked away. I grimaced at her apologetically, but it was too late.

"Still," Ginny was saying, unaware of the Hufflepuff I had just offended, "the team's been a bit out of sync lately. Ron's so bloody nervous about the game that he lets in nearly ever quaffle. And Demelza and I still aren't flying nearly as well as Katie..."

"Katie's been playing loads longer than you have," I reminded her.

But Ginny wasn't paying any attention to me; she was staring at something behind me. I turned around to see what she was looking at, and I saw Harry and Rosaline coming in, hand-in-hand. I smiled, waving them forward. When I turned around again, grinning at Ginny, she avoided eye contact with me, the color draining from her miserable looking face. I glanced back at Rosaline and Harry, who were headed in our direction, and looked back at Ginny who looked like she had just heard the news that her pgymy puff, Arnold, had just died. I felt an uncomfortable sinking feeling in the bit of my stomach, remembering the conversation I had had with Seamus all those weeks ago.

"Studying the playbooks, I see," Harry grinned approvingly, seeing the two pieces of parchments laid out on the table.

"Playbooks? Can I see?" Rosaline asked, her eyes lighting up.

"You're not Gryffindor," Harry reminded her.

"Just a peek," she begged him, "I doubt I'll understand any of it."

"Then why do you want to see it so badly?" he asked, exasperated.

"Curiosity," she replied simply.

Harry rolled his eyes and was about to retort when Cho Chang appeared out of nowhere. "Hi-ya, Harry," she beamed, ignoring the rest of us.

"Now it's a party," Ginny muttered under her breath. I let out a small laugh that quickly faded when I saw Harry catch Ginny's eyes, and the two of them looked away quickly, grinning.

"Hello, Cho," Harry greeted politely, an amused smile still on his face.

"I just wanted to wish you luck on the game," she said, lightly brushing her hand against his arm. I glanced at Rosaline to see her reaction, and wasn't surprised one bit to see her fuming.

"Erm...thanks..." Harry said uncomfortably. Rosaline cleared her throat loudly. "Oh, yeah," Harry said suddenly, bringing Rosaline forward, "Cho, have you met Rosaline? She's my...erm...girlfriend..."

Cho's smile hardened. "Oh...you have a girlfriend. I had no idea...how long has this been going on exactly?"

"Just a few weeks," Harry told her.

"But it's going very well," Rosaline interrupted, leaning into Harry affectionately. Ginny coughed uncomfortably.

"Well, it was nice seeing you," Harry said loudly, backing away from the awkward gathering, "but Rosie and I have really got to get going..."

"I told you not to call me that," Rosaline whispered to him, sounding half-annoyed and half-amused."

"Later Dean, Ginny!" he called out before quickly dragging Rosaline away. Cho stood there a few minutes, blinking, staring at the empty spot where Harry had previously been standing. Finally, she walked away, murmuring a goodbye to me and Ginny.

"She's never going to get the hint," Ginny sighed, shaking her head, "he doesn't want to be with her."

I stood up. "Yeah, and when are you?" I snarled, my mid flashing back to te look on Ginny's face when she saw Rosaline and Harry. Ginny blinked several times, staring at me blankly, confusion written all over her face. "Sorry," I muttered, "I'll see you later." She nodded, still looking slightly hurt and confused.

* * *

**Ginny Weasley**

* * *

I launched the quaffle towards the hoop, holding my breath, waiting to see if it made it in.

"Oh, no. Ginny was blocked by that keeper...what was his name again?" Luna announced dreamily. I bit back a laugh, glancing up at the commentator's box. Luna was watching the game dreamily, the wind softly blowing her dirty-blonde hair; meanwhile, McGongall was standing behind her, looking very much like she regretted allowing Luna within ten feet of the microphone.

"That Demelza girl has the ball again...oh, she passed it to Ginny! I do like her very much, you know. Oh, good job, Ginny. She just passed it to the other chaser...Katie I think her name was-Blimey! Harry's appeared to have gotten the snitch!" Luna squealed with delight. Against my better judgement, I watched as Harry dove down. My heart pounded against my chest. Hufflepuff was tied to us, and this would be perfect timing for him to catch the snitch.

"Oh, the other seekers after Harry...oh, my!" Luna exclaimed, sounding confused. Harry dove straight to the bottom, pulling away just in time before he ran smack into the ground. The Hufflepuff seeker was not so lucky, though. He slammed into the ground, earning a collective gasp from the audience. Harry flew back into the air, winking gloatingly as he flew past me as I let out a laugh of disbelief. "I believe Harry just did the Willy Faint," Luna told us knowingly.

"Wronski Feint," Mcgonagall corrected. I glanced back at the commentator's box, bursting into a fit of laughter at the look on McGonagall's face.

"Yes," Luna continued, "and the Hufflepuff seeker appears to be okay. He's back on his broom, at least. Bit of a bloody nose, though. You know, it might not have been the crash that caused the bloody nose. Blibbering Humdingers are known to hang around crowded places, and they like to-"

"_Thank_you, Ms. Lovegoode," McGonagall said sharply, "but the game, please."

"Right. Oh, look! I think Harry's doing that trick of his again. Oh, wait. Maybe it's for real this time...oh, it is! Harry Potter's seen the snitch!"

I watched again, holding my breath as Harry sped across the field, his hands outstretched. My heart thumping in anticipation, I watched as Harry wrapped his eager fingers around the golden ball.

"Oh, he's got the snitch! Harry Potter's got the snitch! Gryffindor wins!" Luna squealed as the crowd erupted into explosive cheers.

Laughing, I flew to the ground, jumping off my broom easily. The green field was exploding with color as crowds from the stands were running onto the fields, congratulating each other. Katie and Demelza hugged me quickly, beaming with pride. Dean gave me a kiss before hurrying off to celebrate with Seamus, the two of them doing some sort of idiotic dance in the middle of the field. I stayed and watched them a bit, giggling, wondering if they had somehow smuggled firewhiskey into the game. Finally, I turned around and spotted Ron and Hermione snogging passionately. Shuddering, I walked in the opposite direction, heading to the Gryffindor common room where most of the team and my fellow classmates were probably already beginning the victory party. As I climbed through the portrait hole, I spotted Harry standing in the middle, being flocked by a group of giggling girls.

"I don't think Rosaline would approve," I told him, pushing aside one particular obnoxious girl, laughing like a hyena.

When he saw it was me, his face spread into a wide grin. "Hello, Ginny," he said smugly, sticking out his hand, "I believe you owe me something..."

I glared at him for several seconds. "I can't believe you actually managed to pull it off," I grumbled, digging through my pockets for a galleon.

"Thank you," he exclaimed as I handed him my only galleon.

"Well, good game," I said, clapping him on the back, "see you around, then."

"Woah, hold on, there, a moment, Gin," he said, grabbing my arm gently and pulling me back.

"Do you remember the second part of our little deal?" he teased, grinning wickedly.

"You can't be serious."

"Oh, I'm completely serious," he informed me, gesturing to the hordes of students around us. "I think right now is the perfect time, don't you?"

Across the room, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, and a few others were climbing through the portrait hole. "I hate you so much right now," I told him as he put his hands on my shoulder, leading me to the nearest table. "Need a hand," he offered.

"No, thanks," I huffed, climbing on top of the table easily. I looked around the crowded common room as more students filed in.

"I'm waiting..." Harry said in a sing-songy voice.

"Fine," I snapped, clearing my throat loudly. Grinning, Harry hopped onto the table beside me.

"Excuse me everybody," he called. The room fell completely silent at once. I rolled my eyes. "Sorry to interrupt the festivities," he apologized, "but Ginny here has something to say. You see, she didn't believe I could actually pull off the Wronksi Feint." There was a collective boo from the audience. "I know, right," Harry sighed, shaking his head at me in a disappointed manner, "but anyway, we actually made a bet. I told her that if I managed to actually perform the Wronksi Feint, then she would have to tell everybody the truth." He paused, looking at me. "Which is..."

"Harry is a much better Quidditch player than me," I mumbled.

Harry put his hand to his ear. "I'm sorry...I didn't quite catch that..."

I glared at him, clearing my throat loudly. "Harry James Potter is a _much _better Quidditch player than me, Ginevra Molly Weasley."

The room broke out into fits of applause and giggles, and Harry did a majestic bow in front of everybody.

"Let's not get cocky there, Potter," I warned him, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

He laughed. "You know, I missed you, Ginny."

"Miss me? Harry, you see me everyday."

He rolled his eyes, hopping off the table. "You know what I mean. It's not the same," he said, offering me his hand. I grabbed it, holding it for support as I jumped off the table.

I looked up at him. "Yeah, I know what you mean...I miss you too..."

"Look," he said, still holding my hand, "I get what you're worried about. And I'm trying to move on...I've got Rosaline, remember?"

I squeezed his hand. "I know."

"So, can we please go back to being friends? Forget about all this awkwardness?" he asked, holding both my hands now, making my heart skip a beat.

I grinned. "Only if you promise to _never _make me humiliate myself like that again. I'll let you off easy this time. But mess with me again, and I'll take you down," I threatened.

He smiled. "That's what I like to hear."

Laughing, I threw my arms around him, breathing in his alluring, musky aroma. It was light, but very distinct. I could recognize Harry's fresh, musky scent from anywhere. But up close, it sent tiny shivers down my spine. How come Dean never smelled this good? And after a game too! Harry wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me tightly.

Distantly, I heard somebody clear their throat loudly, bringing me back to reality. Harry quickly let go of me, and I realized the person that interrupted the moment was Dean.

"Good game, Harry," Dean said, a fake smile plastered on his face.

"Did you catch your girlfriends little speech, there?" Harry asked, a pleased smile spreading across his face.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, I did. But, mate, that was really impressive what you did out there."

Harry nodded, looking uncomfortable. "It was nothing...just loads of practice, I guess."

"Well, it was pretty cool," Dean complimented.

"Cool? That was bloody amazing!" Seamus howled, pushing me aside. "Harry, you've got to tell me everything!" he said, dragging Harry away.

I laughed. "Poor Harry. Should we save him?"

Dean took my hands, and I noted that it didn't make my heart pound or give me goosebumps. "Let's just enjoy this moment...alone," he whispered, placing his hands on my waist. He began leaning in, closing his eyes.

"Well, actually, I wanted to celebrate with the team," I said, twisting my body to avoid his kiss. I glanced over at my teammates who were hoisting Ron up. Harry was standing on top of the sofa, a butterbeer in his hand, apparently making a toast. Demelza who was on Coote's shoulders, was giggling loudly. I squeezed Dean's hand apologetically before hurrying over to stand beside Katie, who was beaming proudly.

"Ginny!" Peakes shouted, holding out his arms in welcome.

"Ah, our amazing team...together again..." Coote cried, his hand over his heart.

Katie laughed, snatching the firewhiskey out of Coote's hands. "I think you've hand enough, Ritchie."

"To the team!" Harry exclaimed, laughing at Ritchie.

"To the team!" we all chorused back, laughing. I watched Harry, realizing for the first time, he looked truly like he belonged. Ron and Hermione were by his side, grinning at him too. I think they realized, like I did, that Harry finally felt like 'Harry.' All summer, he'd complained that he didn't feel like the Harry Potter that the papers praised so much or that the girls fawned over all the time. But tonight, surrounded by all his teammates and friends, I think he'd finally found where he belonged. Beaming, I chugged down my butterbeer.

* * *

The party was slowly breaking up. There were a few couples still slow dancing and a few other people milling around. Harry had gone to bed a few hours earlier. Ron and Hermione were in a private corner, talking intimately. I didn't want to interrupt. Seamus and Neville were still playing with a few of Fred and George's merchandise they had sent over just for the party. Sighing, I decided it was time to go to bed. I bade goodbye to my group of friends, and started to head to the stairs.

"Going to bed?"

I turned to find Dean waiting for me by the stairs. "Hey," I smiled as he rested his hands on my waist. "I didn't really see you at the party."

He shrugged. "You were with your friends."

"Still, you could've come."

"Next time," he promised, leaning down to kiss me. I allowed him to kiss me for a few seconds, attempting to kiss him back, but my body yearned to go to bed.

"Dean," I sighed apologetically, pushing him away, "I'm sorry...I'm just really tired..."

He smiled, kissing my forehead. "See you tomorrow, then."

"Of course," I replied, stifling a yawn. Giving him a half wave, I blundered upstairs.

"Hey, Ginny," a voice chirped through the darkness as I opened my dormitory door. I narrowed my eyes, attempting to figure out which one of my roommates had greeted me.

Shrugging, I muttered a hello and headed toward my bed. "Mind if I turn on the light for a few seconds?" I asked aloud.

"No," somebody groaned, turning in her bed.

"Lumos," I whispered, gently setting my wand on my bed. I quickly undressed, throwing on an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts. As I was about to climb into my bed, though, I noticed a gold galleon sitting on my bed. Underneath it was a tiny strip of parchment.

_Good game, Weasley. _

I reread the note, recognizing Harry's handwriting, which often reminded me of a young child's. Smiling, I tossed the coin on my bedside table. I gently placed the note inside my drawer, wondering how on earth Harry managed to get the note into the girl's tower. I pulled the covers over me, a content smile on my face as I thought of Harry, and the fact that he took the time to return my galleon and leave me a note. I wondered if he sent it up with one of the girls in my dormitory.

Whatever it was, a clutched my pillow tighter, grinning stupidly. "Knox," I whispered, extinguishing the light from the room.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"...don't understand why you're so upset," I said rationally.

Rosaline looked up at me, her eyes bulging slightly. "Oh, _really_?"

Panicking, I looked around, spotting two familiar redheads nearby. "Ron, Ginny, help me out here."

"Trouble in paradise?" Ron asked, spotting Rosaline's red face.

I looked uncomfortably at Ginny, who gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Cho came to talk to Harry again," Rosaline told them, her tiny body trembling with fury.

"So?" Ron asked, popping a few chocolate cauldrons into his mouth.

"So, I don't appreciate that whiney girl _throwing _herself all over Harry," she exclaimed bitterly.

Ron glanced at me, looking impressed. "She still fancies you? Alright, mate!" he grinned, clapping my back.

Rosaline stared at him. "How would you feel if that Krum bloke was suddenly back and always stopping to chitchat with Hermione?" she demanded.

Ron gulped down his last bit of chocolates. "Wouldn't bother me."

"Oh, really?" Ginny asked dubiously.

"You see, Hermione and I have a...what does she call it? Oh, yeah...we have an _open_ relationship," he explained,_ "_Now, I'm not entirely sure what it means, but I remember her saying something about us talking a lot."

Ginny and I stared at him.

"What?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing. Anyway, Rosaline, you have nothing to worry about with Cho. She can flirt with me all she wants, but its you that I'm with. Remember?" I kissed her forehead, hoping the discussion would end.

"Just because you kiss me, doesn't mean we can forget about our problems," she snapped.

"I bet it would work on Cho," Ron said under his breath.

Ginny smacked Ron. Rosaline glared at him, flipping her blonde hair back and stalking off.

"Thanks a lot, mate," I groaned.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I have to go meet up with Luna. See you two later?"

"Bye," I waved as Ginny traipsed up the spiral stairs. There was a tiny pang in my chest, wishing she had stayed a few minutes longer. With a rush of guilt, I realized I hadn't wished the same when Rosaline left.

"So, you wanna pay Hagrid a visit?" Ron asked. "I mean, we've got an hour before Potions. I expect Hermione's studying in the library, but I'm not really in the mood."

I shrugged. "Sounds good."

We turned the corner, debating whether Potions or History of Magic was worse.

"Well, to be honest, I don't really remember History of Magic," I said rationally, "I mean, it'd be interesting wouldn't it? It's not like Muggle history..."

Ron stared at me. "It's Professor Binns, Harry."

"Don't know who that is."

"The ghost teacher...I'm sure you've seen him around..."

I shook my head. "Nope. Is he really that bad?"

"Well, I dunno, actually. I was usually asleep during his class..."

I snorted. "I bet Hermione loved that."

Ron grinned. "Drove her mad."

"Well, I don't mind Potions that much. Slughorn's alright," I said fairly.

"Yeah, because Slughorn _loves _you."

"Dumbledore's orders," I reminded him, "it's not like I _want _to be his favorite."

"True. Besides, I'd take Slughorn any day over _Snape_."

I shuddered, picturing the mysterious teacher with the billowing black robes and greasy, dark hair. "Was he always that unpleasant?" I asked, remembering the detention he gave me for dropping my quill last week.

Ron nodded darkly. "We hate him."

"Does Dumbledore know how scared his students are of him?" I wondered, picturing Neville having a nervous breakdown nearly every day after class.

"Oh, yeah, but Dumbledore trusts him. I don't know why, but Dumbledore's a genius and all. Mad, but still a bloody genius. Remus thinks we should listen to him."

The mention of Remus reminded me of a conversation I had had with Luna weeks ago. "Hey, Ron," I said casually, "is Remus my...you know..._godfather__?"_

Ron froze. "Why would you ask that?"

I shrugged. "Nothing...somebody mentioned I had a godfather, and I just wondered who he was. And Remus was friends with my parents, and he seems to care about me a lot..."

Ron laughed. "Nah, he's not your godfather. He was best friends with your dad, and all, but he's not your godfather."

"Oh...well, then, who is?" I persisted. For some reason, it was really bothering me. This person, my godfather, whomever he was, for some reason, seemed really important. I needed to know who he was.

"Umm...I'm sure you'll remember soon enough," Ron said, fidgeting with his hands nervously.

I was about to insist that Ron at least give me a name, when we bumped into Draco Malfoy. I had met Draco only once before, and he was the most unpleasant person I had ever had the misfortune of meeting. He cornered me on my first week here, him and two other thugs triple my size. Professor Slughorn had come to my rescue. I would've been a goner, especially since those two thugs could have easily beat me up, and that Malfoy had been itching to use his wand. He gave the boys detention, and invited me back to his office, telling me stories of my mum when she was a student of his. Despite his overdramatic tendencies and favoritism, I really appreciated his attempts to calm me down. Besides, it was nice to finally have somebody tell me the full truth about something. Even if it was just stories about my mum's cheeky attitudes in class.

"Watch it Potty," Malfoy snarled, pushing me out of the way. Beside me, Ron reached for his wand.

"Draco!" Professor McGonagall, who had eyes like a hawk, barked.

Seething, Malfoy glared at me once more before slouching off with his crew of gorillas.

"Filthy sewer rat," Ron muttered.

_Rat. Rat. _As if that word had triggered it, flashes of a tiny rat transforming into a man charged into my memory. I could remember it clearly, almost as if it had happened a second ago. We were in a dark room, the wallpaper peeling and chipping away, the furniture broken and thrown recklessly around the room, the wooden floors full of scratches...I was sitting against the wall, praying the pounding in my head would go away, my nails digging into my skin so that tiny specks of blood was trickling down my skin. In front of me, a short man, probably shorter than me or Ron, was inching towards me, a twisted smile on his face. His knotted blonde hair was dirty, and there were tiny patches of hair missing. He appeared to have been a rather fat man who had lost a ton of weight in a short period of time, and his clothes were torn and hanging off of him. He stopped for a second, staring eerily at me. Next thing I knew, he was changing, transforming into a fat gray rat.


	18. The Shrieking Shack

**Chapter Eighteen:**

**The Shrieking Shack**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

Once I finished telling my story for what felt like the hundredth time, I looked around the silent room. McGonagall and Snape were exchanging looks, a hopeful glint in their eyes. Dumbledore was gently stroking Fawkes; he appeared to be in deep thought, and I didn't want to disturb him with the millions of questions floating around in my head. Beside me, Ron and Hermione were quiet, each of them thunderstruck by my newest memory.

Ron finally broke the silence. "Peter...this means Peter kidnapped him!" he exclaimed as if he had just single-handedly solved the mystery that had been daunting us for months.

Hermione, who had been staring at the wall for several minutes, her brows furrowed together, blinked and turned to face me. "Harry," she began carefully, "do you by any chance recognize the place in your memory?"

I shrugged, glancing at Dumbledore who was gazing at me intently. "No...not really. Why?"

"Because," Dumbledore replied, straightening up with a proud smile directed towards Hermione, "Ms. Granger, here, recognizes the place you just described."

McGonagall looked up at Hermione, surprise etched upon her old, thin face. Snape, much to my own surprise, looked impressed as he studied Hermione's gleeful expression. Ron looked dumbfounded, his face scrunched up as he tried to figure out what exactly it was Hermione had just discovered.

"The shrieking shack," she told us, her face a bright pink as she glanced towards Dumbledore nervously.

"Ah," Snape nodded, returning to his bored expression, "should have guessed that's where that filthy rat would have hidden out. Insufferable coward," he muttered under his breath.

"On school grounds," McGonagall said faintly. Dumbledore nodded somberly. "Albus, he was on school grounds this entire time!" she cried out. I stared at her. The sternest, strictest teacher in the entire school (well, not counting Snape), and she was nearly in tears.

"I should have realized," Dumbledore sighed. He turned toward me, his piercing blue eyes gazing intently into mine. "Forgive me, Harry...I should have realized..."

I swallowed, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Of course it wasn't Dumbledore or McGonagall's fault I'd been kidnapped. If anything, they'd been wonderful to me since I woke up without any recollection of my own name. "It's not your fault," I told him.

"Ah, but it is," Dumbledore said sadly.

Ron cleared his throat. "I hate to interrupt...but...erm...how did Peter manage to sneak onto school grounds in the first place?"

"He must have come through Hogsmeade," Snape interjected quietly.

McGonagall shook her head. "But we were patrolling Hogsmeade! How did he get past us?"

"Well," Ron mused, "he helped create the Marauder's Map, remember? He probably knows the school even better than Fred and George."

"Good point, Ron," Hermione said, impressed.

"Excuse me," I interrupted, "but what in Merlin's ugliest pair of pants is a shrieking shack?"

Dumbledore stood up, straightening his robe. "Come, I'll show you."

* * *

We were an odd little group. Students turned, frowning, as we strode by, our heads high. Dumbledore led the group, telling me the story of a tree that was planted years ago on school grounds.

"What's so special about a tree?" I wondered.

"Ah, well, this particular tree has the uncanny ability to...shall we say, protect herself..."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ron muttered.

"What?" I asked him.

"I believe Mr. Weasley is referring to the fact that you're constant need for attention literally drove you into the tree a few years ago. And she didn't take so kindly to the two of you crashing into her and damaging most of her branches," Snape replied icily, "Damage to school property, and the term hadn't even begun yet. A record even your father would have been proud of."

"Severus, please," McGonagall said cautiously.

"Honestly, Professor, that tree did more damage to us," Ron said, shuddering at the memory.

Hermione cleared her throat quietly. "I mean no disrespect, Professor, but didn't Dobby admit to tampering with the car? It wasn't really Ron and Harry's fault..." she faltered under Snape's hateful glare.

"And I believe stealing a car, using magic outside of school, and being seen by muggles wasn't their fault, either, Ms. Granger?" he sneered.

"We did all of that?" I questioned Ron quietly. He nodded grimly. I sighed, completely unsurprised. It seemed that I had a knack for finding trouble.

Hermione, who was turning a deep shade of red, said, "No, Professor."

"Severus," Dumbledore said pleasantly, "I think Professor Flitwick could use your assistance in the meeting today. Besides, I'm sure Harry won't feel comfortable trying to relive his past with all of standing around, staring at him."

Snape stopped, looking as if Dumbledore had just slapped him. "As you wish, headmaster," he muttered before swiveling around, his black robes billowing behind him.

"Thank Godric," Ron murmured. I flashed him a small smile, relieved Snape wasn't joining us. I couldn't bare to imagine spending another five minutes with his snide remarks and angry sneers. I didn't know what I had done to him before I lost my memory, but whatever it was, I had a feeling he wouldn't be forgiving me any time soon.

"That's the tree?" I asked as we carefully approached it.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Dumbledore sighed dreamily, reminding me of the way Hagrid often spoke of terrifying monsters.

"Well, when does she attack?" I wondered as Dumbledore strode up to the tree, twisting a tiny knot near the trunk.

"Oh, of course, she doesn't attack the bloody _headmaster_," Ron grumbled as he followed Dumbledore into the tree. I stared at them, thunderstruck. Everyday, a new magical discovery I made seemed to blow my mind.

"Well, come along, Potter," McGonagall snapped, "hurry up!"

I slid into the tree, following Hermione's lead. Once I landed, I realized we were in some sort of underground tunnel. McGonagall slid in beside me, landing elegantly on her feet. She smoothed on the wrinkles in her emerald green robes, and straightened up, awaiting Dumbledore's orders.

"Could have bloody killed me...ruined my wand..." Ron was still grumbling to himself about the tree.

"Anything look familiar, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as he started down the tunnel.

I looked around the dark tunnel, an eery knot in the pit of my stomach. "Yeah," I whispered.

Hermione grabbed my hand. "What?" she asked quietly, sensing it was bad.

I could practically feel the ropes cutting into my skin, the dark bruises over my arms and legs, the stinging in my eyes, the sharp pain in my stomach as the bloody wound healed itself, the sore circle in my arm as a little man dragged me down the dark tunnel, grasping my arm furiously.

"That man...Peter you called him...he had me tied up. He was pulling me along. He was scared...worried..." I recalled, feeling the walls around me. There was a tiny dent in the wall. "Here...this dent...he slammed me into there..."

Hermione flinched. Ron stared at me, horrified. But McGonagall's reaction was the worst. A tiny tear trickled down her old cheeks. I wanted to cry out to her, to tell her I was okay, to tell her everything turned out okay. But I knew it wouldn't be any comfort to her. Because, well, I wasn't okay. I was far from okay. I was completely lost, and for all I knew, the me from last summer seemed to have endured quite a hell. And I wasn't sure if she was ready to hear about the horrors I had to endure.

"We can turn back, Harry," Dumbledore told me, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

"No," I shook my head. "I'm finally remembering! These memories...besides the ones I have of Ginny...they're the only strong memories I have. They're the realest memories I've had so far." I took the lead, lighting Dumbledore's old wand. "I remember he took me down this path," I told them as the tunnel began to look more like the walls of an old house. The green wallpaper was slowly peeling off, and the few furniture the house contained was thrown all around the room. It sent tiny shivers down my back, reminding me of a haunted house. "Lumos," I whispered as I led them up the rickety staircase.

"You've gotten to control my old wand very well," Dumbledore observed.

"I've been practicing a lot," I admitted.

"He practices every night," Hermione reported proudly. I rolled my eyes, remembering the gleeful look on Hermione's face when I asked her if I could join her nightly study sessions.

"He took me to the room upstairs," I told them, remembering the boiling anger and fear I felt as he dragged me up the stairs, throwing me into the room. I didn't know what I expected to find in the room or what I expected to remember, but I barged in there, slamming the door open. Ron and Hermione were right behind me, clinging tightly to their wands as if expecting to find Peter sitting there, waiting for us.

"Well?" Ron asked, his voice shaking.

I looked around the dark room, studying the dark green wallpaper that was peeling off, the loose floorboards that creaked loudly when you walked over them, the dirty, old mismatched furniture thrown carelessly around the room, the dust that covered the floors and tables...

"That corner." I pointed to darkest corner. "That's where I stayed."

"For how long?" Hermione asked.

I grimaced. "Dunno...it felt like I lifetime, though...I tried to escape a few times. That's where I got all the scars and bruises from..."

"And the snowy mountain?" Ron pressed.

I scrunched up my face, closing my eyes tightly, pushing through the memories of Peter beating me into the corner. I tried to think of the snowy mountain top, trying to figure out where on earth that it snowed in the middle of summer. But instead what I remembered was a flash, a scene of something completely different.

_The woman had dark, wild hair. Her dark brown eyes would have been pretty if it weren't for the circles under her eyes that covered her pale, sallow skin. She was pacing in front of me, laughing manically. "Crucio!" She screamed, her wand was pointed at me as I let out a bloodcurdling scream, my limbs feeling like they were catching on fire, knives pierced through my skin, my veins exploding...I shrieked, begging her to stop, begging for her to end it. _

_"That's enough, Bella!" The voice of another woman with a softer voice sliced through the air. And just as suddenly as the pain came, it stopped, and I was left on the floor, shaking, still reeling from the fact that moments ago it felt like knives were piercing through my skin. "You're getting blood all over my best rug!" I turned my head slightly as the other woman came into view. Her light, blonde hair was pulled into an elegant bun. Her gray eyes were narrowed slightly, looking at me with a mixture of both pity and disgust. She pulled her silky, expensive nightgown more tightly against her. Even though my vision was swaying, I could tell that this woman was actually very pretty._

_Bellatrix glared at her sister. "Cissy, are you feeling pity for the boy?"_

_Narcissa pursed her lips. "He's just a boy...Draco's age..."_

_"Pity, Cissy? Pity for Potter?! It's Potter!" Bellatrix sneered in complete disbelief. _

_"I know his name," Narcissa replied coolly, "but this is still my house and I don't appreciate hearing torturing and screaming in the middle of the night. I'm trying to get some sleep."_

_Bellatrix let out a strangled cry. "Sleep! The Dark Lord is on his way! Can you imagine how he'll reward us? All will be forgiven!"_

_Narcissa's eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening slightly. "Yes...well...do call me down when he arrives..."_

_From the way her hands shook and the way she slowly backed away, I could tell Narcissa wasn't like her sister. She was a Malfoy, so she was just as vile, and she had the delusional idea that she was better than muggleborns, but she wasn't completely evil. She was just ignorant and stupid. She never wanted all the death, she never wanted all the danger surrounding her family. And she was scared. Terrified, actually. Lucius was in Azkaban, now, and he couldn't protect her and Draco. _

_"Call you down?" Bellatrix shrieked. "Is that how you welcome the Dark Lord into your home? Cissy! Don't you walk away from me! Come here!" Bellatrix stormed off after her sister. "Potter!" she screamed, swiveling around to face me. Her furious face twisted into an evil smile. "I'll be back," she jeered before stalking off after her sister. _

_The door slammed behind her. I closed my eyes, telling myself to breath steady. My hands still shaking, I sat up, grabbing the nearest table for support. Breathing heavily, I pulled myself up, gasping from the pain coming from my muscles. I looked around, searching for my wand. It had flown out of my hand, rolling away when Bellatrix started torturing me. _

_Behind me, the door creaked open, and I swiveled around fearfully. A fat, blonde, Peter Pettigrew stood in the doorway, his wand pointed at me. I relaxed slightly. Peter was evil, but he wasn't Bellatrix evil. He was stupid enough that I could probably trick him or fend him off for a bit. _

_"The Dark Lord is on his way," he announced. _

_I glared at him. "Great. I've been meaning to have a little chat with him. You know, what with him trying to kill me every chance he gets. Puts a bit of a damper on my whole summer break."_

_Peter's eyes widened slightly. "J-just like your father!"_

_"Don't talk about my dad!" I roared. "You bloody coward!"_

_His face stretched into a wicked smile. "You're wandless, Harry. Remember that."_

_I glanced around, wondering where on earth had my wand gone. "What do you want, Peter," I asked, attempting to keep the conversation going until I could locate my wand. _

_"The Dark Lord...he was very upset," Peter said, his voice shaking slightly. _

_"Oh, yeah. Sorry about messing up your little plans at the Ministry," I sneered, swallowing the lump growing in my throat. _

_"He's very excited...glad they caught you...glad he got past Dumbledore's security and the blood wards," Peter continued. _

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's on his way to come kill me. Greatest wizard of all time. Blah blah blah. Honestly, this is getting a bit old. You people need to think of a new speech. Though, I must say, I am having a difficult time figuring out how I'm going to get out of this one..." _

_Peter kept his wand pointing at me, his hand shaking wildly now. "He'll be very pleased with the Malfoys and Lestranges. They'll probably be his favorites again."_

_"So?" I asked, feigning boredom. _

_"So, I want a bit of that favortism. I'm sick of being pushed around..."_

_"Oh, yeah. I forgot you liked having big friends that protected you. I bet when you followed my dad around like a lost puppy, people stopped messing with you, right? Yeah, well, no matter what you do, Voldemort will never protect you like my dad. You see, my dad was this little thing that you would call good. While on the other hand, Voldemort is what you would call evil. Now, evil doesn't really care about making sure their friends aren't being bullied and picked on."_

_Peter flinched. "Don't say his name!" he hissed. _

_I frowned. "Or...is it Voldemort you're scared of? Do you need to get into his good ranks so that he won't hurt you? Is it both?"_

_"Shut up!" Peter squealed, looking around wildly as if to make sure nobody had heard me use Voldemort's name. "I will get the same amount of privilege as Bellatrix and Lucius! I won't have to serve that greasy-slimeball anymore! Ill be forgiven for my past"_

_"Oh, yeah? And how are you going to do that?" I challenged, actually a bit curious now. _

_"It's simple, really...Stupefy!" Peter shouted, his wand pointed in my direction. I tried ducking, but I was still too weak. The muscles in my legs couldn't react as quickly, and my reflexes were shot. And the curse hit me...straight in the chest. And then everything went dark. _

"Harry," Dumbledore asked quietly, "you've been silent for a while now."

I blinked, looking around the small room with the wallpapers peeling off and the squeaky floorboards. Ron and Hermione were watching me nervously, looking almost afraid. McGonagall was peering at me concernedly as if worried about my health. But I looked straight at Dumbledore, who I suspected could read my mind sometimes, because he didn't seem surprised at all by what I said next.

"Malfoy Manor," I told them, "I was at Malfoy Manor last summer."


	19. Malfoy Manor

**Chapter Nineteen:**

**Malfoy Manor**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

It's weird how memories can have such a profound effect on you. Never before had I given much thought to 'death eaters' and 'voldemort.' I never understood why people feared them so much, why the newspapers warned us not to trust our neighbors anymore, why people would recoil in fear at the sound of Voldemort's name, why security pamphlets were handed it out daily, why Dumbledore was so extreme in the lengths he took to protect the school. Before, it was all very strange. I thought these people were a tad bit too paranoid. After all, how much damage could one bloke do?

And then I remembered: Bellatrix Lestrange. The way she had tortured me so carelessly. The way she acted as if it were merely a game. They way she was so easily prepared to kill me, to destroy a human life. The way Narcissa Malfoy shrank away in fear at the threats made by her sister. She was terrifying. She was evil. And she wasn't even Voldemort. I couldn't imagine anybody that could possibly be worse than her. But there was. Voldemort was their leader, the one that made even Bellatrix tremble in fear.

"Harry," Ron said, "you've been quiet, mate." We were on our way back to the common room. Ron, as usual, had been chattering on endlessly about Quidditch, but I could hardly focus on a word he was saying. I kept thinking of the memories that had come back to me, the scenes replaying in my head over and over again.

"I was just thinking..." I said, trailing off.

"Yeah?"

"Peter. In my memory, I mentioned that he and my dad were friends..." I watched Ron carefully, awaiting his reaction. I knew he knew something.

Ron's face turned stony. "Oh, yeah."

"So, he was?" I pressed.

Ron looked around, making sure nobody was within earshot. "Look, don't tell anybody I said this, okay? I know Dumbledore wants you finding out things on your own, and Hermione would kill me if she knew I was telling you this, but there are just some things a bloke should know, right? And the person who killed his parents is something he should know, yeah?"

I stopped, my heart pounding. "I thought _Voldemort_ killed my parents."

Ron fidgeted. "Yeah. But it was Peter who told You-Know-Who where they were hiding...I reckon he's as responsible as You-Know-Who for you know...murdering your parents..."

I was silent.

"Look, Harry," Ron said as we ascended the stairs to the common room, "Peter's a coward, okay. Your dad used to protect him, but when your dad couldn't do that anymore, Peter turned on him. He found other friends. Friends that could offer him better protection. And those friends just happened to be You-Know-Who."

I kept my anger down. "He was their friend," I repeated as we arrived in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

Ron, sensing my anger, stopped, grabbing my arm. "Listen, Harry, don't do anything stupid, okay? When we see Peter again, we'll get our revenge. For betraying your parents and for hurting you. We'll get him back. I promise. Just don't do anything reckless, okay?"

I stared at Ron. He was my best friend, just like Peter was my dad's best friend. Ron was watching me, his light blue eyes locked with mine. His chin was lifted slightly, determination etched upon his face. I knew he could never do anything to hurt me, not like Peter.

"Okay. Thanks, mate." I finally agreed.

"Are either one of you planning on giving me an actual password?" The Fat Lady demanded.

"Fairy lights," Ron told her.

"Correct," she muttered, sounding bored, before swinging wide open.

Inside the common room, we found Ginny, Hermione, and Dean sitting together. Ginny had her arms crossed, her expression stony. Hermione was yelling at Ginny, her hands moving around wildly as she spoke. Dean, meanwhile, was sitting between the two of them, looking extremely uncomfortable. Ron and I exchanged looks before heading towards them.

"Hey," Ron said, leaning down to kiss Hermione hesitantly. An angry Hermione was a Hermione that you did not want to cross.

"What's going on?" I asked, plopping into the seat across from them.

"I've got detention," Ginny said, staring at the wall, "every Friday for the next month."

I raised my eyebrows, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "What'd you do?"

"Nothing!"

Dean cracked a small smile. "Oh, you mean besides make bats fly out of Malfoy's nose?" He turned to face me. "She used the Bat-Bogey hex on Draco," he clarified. Ron and I burst into laughter. Hermione glared in our direction, shushing us.

"Well, that _is_ your specialty." I chuckled.

"He was asking for it!" Ginny said defensively.

"Ginny, he was just walking by," Dean said.

Ron looked at his sister approvingly. "I'm really proud of you, Gin. You're really living up to the Weasley family name." He put his hand over his chest. "If only Fred and George could be here to share this proud moment with us."

Ginny looked at Hermione smugly. "See?"

"And since when do you ever listen to Ron?" Hermione demanded.

Ginny glared at Hermione. "Oh, relax, why don't you. It's not like _you're_ the one in trouble."

"That's not the point!"

"Hermione," I said, "just drop it."

She turned to look at me, her face turning an unpleasant shade of red. "Of course you would say that! The only reason she attacked him is because of you, and you know it!"

"Wait - what?" Dean frowned, staring between me and Ginny.

Ginny shot Hermione a look. "It's nothing, Dean." She assured Dean, putting her hand on his shoulder.

Hermione open and closed her mouth, looking guilty.

"Why would you attack Malfoy for Harry?" Dean demanded. He turned to me. "Harry, mate, did Malfoy do something to you?"

"Dean, it's none of your business, okay," Ginny snapped.

Dean glared at her. "I was just asking."

"Can you give us a moment?" Ginny asked him hotly.

Dean sighed, getting up. I felt bad for the guy. Really, I did. It's not his fault that Ginny chose him over me. And besides, he was a nice guy. I knew he probably hated feeling like the fifth wheel all the time; but there were just some things I couldn't share with him.

"Is Hermione right?" I asked her once Dean was out of earshot. "Did you attack Malfoy because of me?"

"It's not right what he did," Ginny huffed, crossing her arms. Ron and I exchanged looks.

"Well," Ron said slowly, "I still think what you did was brilliant. Blimey, I can't believe I missed it! Why do I always miss the good stuff?"

I grinned. "Next time, mate."

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione hissed. "There won't _be _a next time. Right?"

"Of course there will," Ginny insisted.

"See, that," Ron said, pointing to Ginny proudly, "now, _that's _a Weasley."

"Thank you, Ron," Ginny said, glowing.

I stared at the two of them. "Okay, now the two of you getting along this well is really starting to scare me a bit..."

Hermione jabbed me in the ribs. "Harry, you need to tell Ginny that she can't go around hexing Malfoy just for the heck of it!"

"Why not?" Ginny complained.

"Because next time you can get expelled. Or he'll get suspicious that Harry's remembered something. Or his father, who's involved with very dangerous people, could get them to hurt you."

"Hermione, I really doubt Death Eaters will come after me because I picked on Draco."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, "I mean, when they do come after us, I have this tiny suspicion that it might have to do more with the fact that, you know, we're trying to kill You-Know-Who."

"Yeah, and what about Draco and his cronies? If you keep attacking him, he'll get all his little Slytherin buddies to hurt you!" Hermione snapped.

"She's got a point, you know," I said, thinking of the two gorilla bodyguards on either side of Draco.

"See?" Hermione said, relieved somebody was finally on her side.

"Ginny," I said, taking her hand, "we don't need any more trouble from Malfoy. Promise you won't hex him again?"

"What if I promise not to get caught?" she countered.

Ron frowned. "Gin, I think you've been spending way too much time with Fred and George."

Ginny raised her eyebrows and said, "Whatever I do to him will never make up for what he did to Harry, and you know it."

"Good point," Ron said, contemplating choosing between his little sister and his girlfriend.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped. "What if one of the Slytherins hurt her?"

Ron shrugged. "It's a chance I'm willing to take. Besides, Gin can take care of herself."

I shook my head. "No," I told them decisively. "Ginny, promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

"Yeah like that'll ever happen while I'm friends with _you_," she grumbled.

"Fine, promise me you'll _try _to stay out of trouble."

She groaned dramatically. "Fine."

I squeezed her hand. "Thank you."

"Merlin's pants," Ron whispered, "McGonagall's coming in!"

"So? She's our head." Hermione pointed out. "She's allowed to come in if she wants."

"Yeah, but think about this: when has McGonagall ever come in to deliver us _good _news? She always come in to yell at us or tell us something bad's happened."

As Ron said this, McGonagall, who had been looking around the crowded common room, saw us. We all exchanged looks as McGonagall began marching towards us.

"Professor," Hermione greeted.

McGonagall nodded at us. "The Headmaster would like to speak to you."

"Me?" I asked.

"All of you."

* * *

"TONKS!" Ginny shrieked, running toward the woman standing in the middle of Dumbledore's office. Today, Tonks was sporting dirty blonde hair that came down to her waist.

"Wotcher, Harry," she said as I approached.

I grinned. "Hi-ya, Tonks. I like the hair."

"Do you?" she asked, running her hands through her hair. "I'm not sure how I feel about hair this long. It really gets in the way."

"Yeah, well, Harry has a thing for blondes now, didn't you hear?" Ron said.

Ginny's smile hardened. "Well, I like your pink hair better," she told Tonks.

"Me too," Hermione piped up. "It's very you."

"If you say so." Tonks shrugged, closing her eyes in concentration. We all watched in amazement as Tonks' waist-length blonde hair transformed into bubblegum pink hair that came down to her shoulders.

Ron sighed, shaking his head wistfully. "I wish I was a metamorphasis."

"Metamorphmagus," Hermione corrected.

"So, what are you doing here?" Ron asked Tonks.

"Well, I usually guard the school outside with Dawlish and a few others, but Dumbledore wanted a few aurors inside while he was gone."

"Gone? Where is he?" I asked.

"You're about to find out," she said, winking.

"Are you done yet?" another wizard, who had been standing behind Tonks, demanded, looking at us distastefully.

"Sorry, Dawlish," she said cheerfully, "have you met the gang yet? This is Hermione Granger. The redheads are Ginny and Ron Weasley...Arthur's kids. And that is Harry Potter!"

Dawlish nodded. "Let's go," he said.

"He's still a little bitter about Dumbledore knocking him down last year," Tonks whispered, a twinkle in her eye.

"You all know how a portkey works, yes?" Dawlish asked us. Without waiting for a reply, he continued. "Now, once you all touch the portkey, it'll take you about five minutes from Malfoy Manor. Dumbledore and other bodyguards will be there to explain the rest."

"Malfoy Manor?" Hermione spluttered.

Ron rubbed his hands together. "Excellent."

"The portkey," Dawlish said, pointing to an old shoe resting on Dumbledore's desk. The four of us ran forward, grabbing the shoe.

"Have fun!" Tonks exclaimed. "And tell Remus I said hello" she added as we began spinning through the air.

* * *

We landed on an old dirt road, coughing because of all the dirt that had flown around us when we landed.

"Right on time!" Dumbledore exclaimed. We turned around to find Dumbledore standing in front of a large group of witches and wizards. I knew they had to be witches and wizards because none of their clothing resembled anything a sane muggle would wear. Dumbledore hadn't even tried to dress in muggle attire. He was wearing his magenta robes, his long beard and silver hear blowing in the wind. Kingsley, who seemed to be one of the few wizards that dressed normally, was wearing a black suit and sunglasses. I had to admit he looked very impressive, resembling someone cool like a secret agent or something. Mr. Weasley, who despite his obsession with muggles, failed to understand them, was wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and a Hawaiian t-shrit. Remus, who usually did a good job of wearing muggle attire, was dressed in jeans with his usual brown sweater. The other witches and wizards that I didn't recognize were dressed in a variety of different clothing that ranged from bathing suits to nightgowns.

"Dad!" Ginny squealed, running into the arms of her father. Ron was right behind her, giving his dad a quick hug.

"Hello, Harry," Remus said, smiling at me.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, glad to be seeing so many familiar faces.

"Remus, what's going on?" Hermione demanded as she gave him a hug.

"We're going to Malfoy Manor," Remus replied, surprised Hermione hadn't figured it out yet.

"Yes, I know, but _why_?"

"We're hoping Harry will get some more memories," he replied as Mr. Weasley came forward to shake my hand.

"And hopefully he could point out anything dark that could help out the ministry," Kingsley told us. "Or the order," he added in a whisper.

"Are those all aurors?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.

The unrecognizable group of aurors behind Dumbledore nodded, murmuring 'hellos.'

"Honor to meet you, Mr. Potter," one of the aurors piped up, shaking my hand energetically.

"Erm...thanks. You too." I always found it awkward when perfect strangers all seemed to know my name and my life's story, especially since I didn't.

"Stand in position, Proudfoot!" a familiar gruff voice barked.

"Mad-Eye!" Hermione cried, standing on her tiptoes and looking around for Moody.

"Ah, Granger," Made-Eye greeted.

"I thought you retired," Ron said.

"And miss the opportunity of busting those damn Malfoys?" Mad-Eye demanded.

"Speaking of which," Remus said, checking his watch, "it's time we get going. We wanna take them by surprise, don't we?"

"Rotation everybody!" Mad-Eye barked, ordering around the aurors. Instantly, at his command, the aurors disappeared, taking off in different directions.

"They're leaving?" Ginny asked as we were left alone with Mad-Eye.

"Procedures," Mad-Eye muttered, "best way to keep Potter safe."

"So, they're still around?" Hermione asked, looking around the empty dirt road, her eyes narrowing slightly at the trees around us.

"Like I said, best way to keep Potter safe," Mad-Eye said.

"Dumbledore left too?" Ron asked. He looked slightly panicked.

"Constant vigilance, Weasley!" Mad-Eye growled. "Notice how the forests around us aren't quite as...quiet..."

"It was just a question," Ron grumbled, following as Mad-Eye took the lead.

I reached into my pocket, taking out Dumbledore' wand. I noticed Ginny doing the same thing beside me. Ahead of us, Hermione was bombarding Mad-Eye with questions, and Ron was hovering protectively around her.

"How far is it?" Hermione asked.

"About a five minute walk," Mad-Eye replied.

Ginny looked around uneasily. "I don't like this...not being able to see where everybody is..."

"As long as we're safe, though," I whispered.

"Still, I feel like we're being watched."

"That's because we are."

Ginny reached over, tucking her hand into mine. I squeezed her hand.

"Is it weird?" she asked. "Going back to Malfoy Manor?"

I shrugged. "I don't remember much about it...just being tortured..."

Ginny flinched. "Did it...was it...how was it?" she wondered.

"What? Being tortured?"

She nodded meekly.

"I was begging her to kill me at one point...just to end the pain..." I recalled.

Ginny closed her eyes. "Bellatrix did it?"

"The one with the black hair?"

"That's the one," she muttered, her eyes flashing with anger.

"Do you know her?" I asked.

"I only met her once...but she's caused a lot of damage..."

"To anyone you know?" I wondered. I noticed Ron, Hermione, and Mad-Eye were suddenly very quiet.

"Yeah," Ginny finally whispered. I opened and closed my mouth, knowing there was no point in asking her who. I knew she wouldn't tell me anymore than that. Besides, with the look of sadness and pain that had crossed her face, I didn't want to press it.

We walked in silence for a few minutes, Ginny's hand still clasped in mine. Hermione had returned to quizzing Mad-Eye, and much to my surprise, he didn't really seem to mind all the questions she was asking. Ron had slowed down, walking beside me. He had grown silent too.

When the dirt road was suddenly replaced by actual streets, and the trees began to thin, the aurors slowly started appearing beside us again.

"Anything?" Mad-Eye growled.

"We're safe," one of the aurors whispered back to him.

Remus and Mr. Weasley appeared beside me, and I was suddenly very aware of the fact that I was holding hands with Mr. Weasley's daugher. Ginny, too, seemed to have realized this, because she quickly slipped her hand out of mine. Although, I had the distinct feeling that Remus and Mr. Weasley had been listening in to our conversation the entire time.

"We're almost there," Remus told us as a dark mansion appeared in the distance. The sight of the manor sent shivers down my spine. It looked ancient, like it had been in the family for generations, and it had the distinct appearance of being haunted.

"Do they know we're coming?" I wondered.

"I'm guessing they do now," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Why didn't you just send the portkey closer to the house?" Ginny wondered. "We could've taken them by surprise."

"It's not always that easy, Ginny. Most wizarding families have protective charms placed around their house...especially in times like these. And I would imagine that the house in which Voldemort probably takes residence has extra protection."

"You think Voldemort stays here?" Ron yelped.

"That's what Dumbledore thinks," Mr. Weasley replied, nodding toward Dumbledore.

We all turned to look at Dumbledore, who was leading the group along with Mad-Eye. He was clutching his wand tightly beside him.

Ron gulped. "You reckon You-Know-Who's here right now?"

"Probably not." Kingsley's voice boomed from somewhere behind us.

"Good, good," Ron sighed in relief.

"And what gives you that right?"

We turned our heads toward the front. A blonde witch was standing behind the iron gates, her arms crossed.

"If you don't allow us inside right now, then we have permission to force our entry in," Mad-Eye growled at her.

She turned her head back to the house nervously. "Fine," she finally snapped. She marched back to her house, waving her wand in the air for the iron gates to open.

"I remember her!" I exclaimed, recalling Narcissa Malfoy from my memory.

"No solid proof, though," Remus said. "We can't arrest her without hard evidence."

"But that's what we're here for!" Mr. Weasley told us optimistically.

"Come along, then," Mad-Eye hissed at the aurors around us, "and keep formation! And don't forget! Constant vigilance!"

A few aurors around us rolled their eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah.." I heard one of them mutter.

I caught Ginny's eye, and we both grinned.

"Right then, Harry!" Dumbledore called. "Up here please!"

I grabbed Ginny's wrist and pulled her up to the front with me. She didn't seemed to mind. Ron and Hermione followed close behind. I knew they wouldn't let me out of their sight, especially after what happened last summer.

"What's the plan?" I asked.

"Just observe...see if anything looks familiar or fishy," Kingsley told me from somewhere behind.

Mad-Eye glanced at me, his distorted face twisting into a grin. "We'll get 'em, Potter."

He and Dumbledore strode forward, following Narcissa into the house. Ginny and I followed them, our hands clasped tightly together. Ron and Hermione were beside me, their faces pale with anticipation.

"Is there anybody in this house?" Mad-Eye barked.

"It's just me. My son's at school, and my husband..." she trailed off sadly.

"In Azkaban," Mad-Eye finished for her. "And you expect me to believe you have nothing to do with the dark arts?" he growled.

"That's right," she said stiffly, but she kept her head held high as she led us across the foyer into the living room.

"Right, well, you can handle the questioning?" Dumbledore asked Mad-Eye.

"I've got her," Mad-Eye replied, his eyes narrowing at Narcissa.

"Come on then, Harry," Dumbledore said, leading me away from the living room.

"And where do you think you're going?" Narcissa cried after us.

"Search warrant." One of the aurors held up an old piece of parchment paper.

"Lead the way, Harry," Dumbledore advised, "just follow your gut."

Nodding, I closed my eyes. "There's a cellar downstairs," I told them.

"How'd you know?" Ron asked.

I shrugged. "I just do."

"Wands out," Kingsley said.

The inside of Malfoy Manor was very nice, full of expensive looking rugs and paintings. There was a spiral staircase in the foyer that lead to the upstairs, but I knew not to go there. I took them past the foyer, past the cold, stone hallways.

"There are stairs here, I think," I mumbled, trying to remember.

Remus slammed the nearest door open to reveal a staircase leading downstairs. The stairs were old and made out of stone. I imagined it belonged inside of some old castle or something. I started going downstairs, but Dumbledore held me back.

"Me first," he said, pointing his wand down.

"Sir, I don't think there's anybody down there..."

"Yeah, not anymore there isn't," Kingsley spat bitterly. "Did you notice all those cups on the coffee table? I imagine all the bloody death eaters cleared out as soon as they saw us coming."

"They probably took any prisoners with them too," another auror volunteered.

"Prisoners?" Hermione questioned.

"Ollivander's missing, you know," one of the aurors said.

"You reckon he was here?" another auror asked.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Remus muttered.

Ron and I exchanged worried looks before following Remus and Dumbledore downstairs, our wands held out in front of us.

"That's the cellar," I told them, pushing past an old wooden door that led inside a dark room.

"This is where...it happened?" Hermione asked.

I nodded, shuddering at the memory. "There used to be furniture in here, though," I told them, pointing to where the couch and coffee table used to be.

"In a cellar?" Ron snorted.

"I don't think they used it as a cellar...I reckon it used to be a basement."

"It's completely empty in here," one of the aurors muttered, "we should be looking upstairs."

"Go ahead," Dumbledore told him, "but I think a few of us should stay here with Harry."

"I'll stay!" Proudfoot volunteered eagerly. Ginny grinned at me; it always amused her by how people reacted to meeting me. I liked to remind her that she couldn't speak to me for a year, and that usually shut her up.

Most of the aurors went back upstairs, but Proudfoot and a few others stayed back with me. Remus, Kingsley, Mr. Weasley, and Dumbledore also stayed behind. With a nod of encouragement from Remus, I lit up my wand, and began wandering around the dark room. Ron stayed close beside me, the two of us walking from each corner of the room.

"There's nothing in here," Ron whispered, "what exactly are we looking for?"

I shrugged. "I dunno...I've already remembered everything that's happened in here. I don't know what Dumbeldore's expecting us to find."

"Harry!" Hermione's eager squeal made me and Ron jump. "It's your wand!"

Everybody in the cellar sprinted toward Hermione. She had her wand pointed to a corner in the room, the light erupting from her wand illuminating the black stick on the floor. I rushed forward, grabbing it.

"Blimey, I guess I never got the opportunity to get my wand back when Peter came in...I guess he must have kidnapped me before I got the chance..." I muttered. Just holding my wand, a sense of familiarity washed over me. It was as if I was reuniting with an old friend. My wand had been with me through so much, and I felt lost without it.


	20. The Forgotten Connection

**Chapter Twenty: **

**The Forgotten Connection**

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

"Narcissa Malfoy, wife of death eater Lucius Malfoy, who was arrested last year after being captured in the Department of Mysteries, and sister of Bellatrix Lestrange, notorious death eater responsible for the torture of Alice and Frank Longbottom, was brought into questioning last night. After an extensive search of her house, aurors with the help of Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School, and Harry Potter, also known as The Boy Who Lived and The Chosen One, were able to locate several dark objects hidden within the estate. Arthur Weasley furthered the investigation by conducting two more raids of the manor, but he was met with little success. However, the wand of Harry Potter, whose memory was lost last summer after he went missing for several weeks, was found in the cellar of the manor. Authorities believe that Harry Potter must have spent some time in those lost weeks inside the Malfoy manor. However, without lack of hard evidence, Mrs. Malfoy was released-" Ron stopped reading and slammed the paper down. "They let her go!" He yelled furiously.

I looked up at him grimly. "Lack of hard evidence, remember?"

"We found Harry's wand in her house! What more proof do they need?" he demanded.

I sighed. "The Malfoys have money, Ron, remember? I'm sure she just paid somebody off. I mean, it wasn't like she was caught running around with Death Eaters like Lucius. There are only suspicions."

"How do you reckon Harry'll take the news?" Ron asked.

I bit my lip. "I'm more concerned on how he'll take the news that _Bellatrix_ tortured him. Especially once he remembers that she was the one who killed Sirius."

"He came close to remembering. Remember he asked Ginny if she knew anybody that Bellatrix killed?"

"We need to be more careful. When Harry remembers, well _if_ he remembers, we can't let him freak out like last time."

"How're we supposed to stop him? If you don't recall, Harry has a bit of a short fuse. The bloke is bloody scary when he loses it." Ron shuddered, remembering the many times Harry snapped at us last year.

"That's one thing I don't miss. Harry's temper."

"To be fair," Ron said, "You-Know-Who was controlling his emotions last year."

"Yeah, well, Voldemort isn't controlling him right now," Ginny remarked, plopping down beside me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Ginny looked around and lowered her voice. "Dean and I heard him and Rosaline fighting. And it sounded pretty bad."

"Fighting? About what?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Take a guess."

"Cho." I sighed.

Ron shook his head grimly. "Women. They just don't know when to let go."

I gave him a look. "This isn't Cho's fault."

"It's not?" Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"Just because she throws herself at Harry, doesn't mean he needs to give her so much attention. If I were Rosaline, I'd be upset too."

"Yeah, well, I think it's a little different this time," Ginny said quietly.

"And why is that?"

Ginny looked up at us. "Today is Cedric's birthday."

"He'd be turning nineteen," I muttered, my heart skipping a few beats.

"Does Harry know that?" Ron asked.

Ginny shrugged. "From what I heard Rosaline was upset that Harry wanted to go comfort Cho when he saw her crying."

"Well, that's not fair." I furrowed my eyebrows. "That's a silly reason for Rosaline to be upset."

Ginny bit her lip. "I'm more worried about Harry remembering Cedric's death than some silly fight he has with Rosaline...he took it so hard the first time Cedric died..."

Ron got up. "Where are you going?" I asked him.

"Make sure Harry hasn't remembered anything," he replied, leaning down and kissing my forehead. "I'll see you in class."

Ginny and I watched Ron walk out the double doors. "Things are going really well for the two of you, huh," Ginny observed.

I grinned. "He's really great."

She made a face. "I don't know what anybody would see in my brother, but if you're happy..."

I rolled my eyes, elbowing her just as a thousand owls fluttered inside the Great Hall searching for their owners. An impressive, dark brown owl landed gracefully in front of me. He stuck out his leg importantly.

"Who's that from?" Ginny frowned.

"It's from Viktor!" I shrieked, carefully untying the letter from the owl. After I fed it a bit of toast, he took off again.

"That's one big letter," Ginny remarked. "I didn't know you two still spoke."

I shrugged. "We still write occasionally. Merlin, I haven't heard from him in a while!"

"Are you going to tell Ron?"

"About the letter? I guess. Do you think he would even care? I mean, I know he was a bit of a fan of Viktor's, but I didn't really get the sense he liked him that much..." I said, frowning.

She snorted. "Are you kidding me? He idolized Krum. The only reason he stopped was because the two of you went out!"

I shrugged, putting the letter in my bag. "Well, that was a long time ago. Viktor and I are just friends now."

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

"We were just talking!" I shouted, slamming my fists down.

"You were hugging!" Rosaline yelled back just as loudly.

"Because she was upset!" I told her furiously. I didn't know how many times I had to tell her the same thing.

"SHE FANCIES YOU, HARRY!" Rosaline shrieked, her gray eyes bulging so that she looked slightly mad.

"But I don't fancy her back! How many times are we going to have the same conversation? First you were jealous of Ginny, and now it's Cho? _Cho_?"

"Harry, when we first met, all you would talk about was Ginny! Even now, you find any excuse to go be with her! You can't blame me for feeling insecure about that."

I sighed. I knew she had a point about Ginny. Sometimes, I still wondered whether I would be happier with Ginny, but this whole Cho thing was completely ridiculous. "I broke up with Cho months ago. You know very well that I don't feel anything for her."

"Then why do you insist on always speaking to her?" Rosaline demanded.

"BECAUSE I FEEL BAD, OKAY? I really hurt her when we broke up! The least I could do is try to be friendly with her!"

"_Friendly_? Harry, you go way beyond just being friendly." She scoffed.

I glared at her. "I don't know what you want from me here. Do you want me to stop talking to Cho? You want me to walk the other way when I see her coming?"

Rosaline stopped. "Yes, actually. That's exactly what I want."

I stared at her. "You can't possibly be serious."

"It's not fair to me to have that- _that_ _cow _constantly flirting with you. And in front of me too! At least Ginny is decent enough to stay away and keep to her own boyfriend!"

"What? Now you want me to stay away from Ginny too? What's next? You don't want me talking to Hermione anymore?" I snarled.

"Don't do that! Don't turn this on me! It's completely understandable for me to want my boyfriend to stay away from a girl that is constantly trying to break us up!"

"A little trust would be real nice, Rosaline," I snarled, balling my fists.

"Trust? How can I- oh," she stopped mid sentence, her face turning a deep shade of red, "hello, Ron..."

I swiveled around to find Ron standing in the doorway. He was staring at us, his ears turning a bright red.

"How long have you been standing there?" I demanded.

"Not long. I swear, mate. I just came to check in on you, and when I saw you and Rosaline- I er..." he trailed off, unsure of how to finish. "I'll just leave," he said lamely.

"I'll go with you!" I called after him, throwing my backpack over my shoulder. "We're done here anyway," I said, looking at Rosaline. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but I turned around before she could say anything and followed Ron.

"Sorry, mate," Ron said in an undertone once we were a safe distance from the empty classroom Rosaline was still in.

I gritted my teeth. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"I know," he said sympathetically. "Anyway, we should get to potions before the bell rings. Then again, you _are _Slughorn's favorite. I doubt he'd care."

I sighed. "Where's Hermione?"

He shrugged. "Last I saw she was still at breakfast with Ginny."

I looked at him. "You saw Ginny this morning?"

He glared at me. "I reckon Rosaline has a point about Ginny, you know."

I felt my face burn. "It's not like that."

"She's my _sister,_" he hissed.

"And she turned me down," I told him.

Ron stopped. "What?"

"I told her how I felt, and she didn't feel the same way. Or she did, but she was scared that I wouldn't feel the same way once I got my memory back or something."

Ron smacked my arm. "Bloody hell, Harry! This is the kind of stuff you tell your best friend!"

I grimaced, rubbing the sore spot on my arm. "That hurt."

"Harry!"

"Sorry! I thought you would be mad."

"I am! Well, I want to be, but I kinda feel bad for you. Damn it, Harry. Why my sister?" Ron groaned.

"Trust me, I've been asking myself the same thing."

"So, how long ago was this anyway?" he demanded.

I shrugged. "A few weeks ago...look, I'm trying to move on. And Ginny clearly prefers Dean anyway."

"Dean," Ron glowered.

"I thought you liked Dean."

"Not when he's dating my sister."

"So, you would hate me too if I ever dated Ginny?"

"Well, no...I'd want to kill you, but I mean then again, you _are _my best mate. I'd rather you be with my baby sister than anybody else. Come to think of it, I trust you more than all these other bloody idiots Ginny dates...maybe the two of you dating wouldn't be so bad..." Ron mused.

I stared at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"Harry! Ron!" Hermione whispered, ushering us to the saved seats beside her. Naturally, I allowed Ron to take the closest seat beside her, and I sat next to him. "Everything alright?" she asked me concernedly, leaning across Ron.

I nodded curtly. "Absolutely brilliant," I muttered sarcastically.

"He's had a rough morning," Ron explained.

"Where's Rosaline?" she whispered.

Ron gave her a look and she shut up instantly, turning back to the front of the class. At the front of the room, Slughorn was clearing his throat, getting the class' attention. "Today we'll be starting chapter seventeen, so if you will take out your books and-"

Slughorn was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. I sank back in my seat, already knowing who it was. "Sorry, I'm late, Professor," Rosaline mumbled, cradling her books tightly against her.

"Oh, you're fine. Just take a seat." Slughorn said, waving her to her seat. Rosaline stalked past me, looking straight ahead. She made her way to the very last row and sat down, avoiding any eye contact with me. I noticed her face was flushed and her eyes looked slightly red.

"She's been crying," Hermione mumbled. I glared at her. "I'm just saying," she muttered, putting her hands up. "Merlin, I can't say anything anymore."

"As I was saying," Slughorn continued, "take out your books and begin taking notes over chapters seventeen and eighteen."

Groaning, Ron and I took out our books.

"Sir, may I use the restroom?" Hermione asked, standing up.

"So, are you going to try to talk to her?" Ron asked, referring to Rosaline as Hermione left the classroom.

I looked over at Rosaline. She was taking out a piece of parchment. When she saw me looking, she met my eye for a few seconds before quickly looking away. "I don't think so," I finally said.

Ron gave me a sympathetic look before opening his bag, looking for a quill and parchment. "Hey," he said, frowning, "do you have an extra quill?"

I shook my head. "Sorry."

He shrugged, reaching over to Hermione's bag. "I'll bet Hermione has one. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if-" Ron stopped talking mid-sentence. I looked over at him and found him staring at a piece of parchment.

"What's that?" I asked him.

"It's a letter from..._Krum_," he said, still staring at the letter in his hands.

I frowned. _Krum_. That name sounded so familiar. I was just starting to think that I must have read about him in the papers or something, when I remembered the events of the Triwizard Tournament. I remembered my name being pulled out. I remembered Krum asking me about Hermione. I remembered Cedric giving me advice on the Golden Egg. I remembered seeing the dragons in the Forbidden Forest. I remembered Ron accusing me of putting my name in the Goblet of Fire. I remembered Cho declining my offer to go to the ball with her. I remembered seeing Cedric and Cho together. I remembered the gnawing jealousy in the pit of my stomach as I watched Cho and Cedric dance. I remembered Ron's own jealousy at seeing Hermione and Krum together. I remembered my annoyance with Cedric. I remembered Cedric taking the cup with me. I remembered arriving in the graveyard. And then I remembered Cedric's lifeless body falling beside me as a sinister voice whispered, "_Kill the spare_."

"Ron," I said, feeling as if I might throw up, "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Yeah, me too," Ron muttered, flipping through the letter, "I can't believe she still talks to Krum. And why didn't she tell me? Harry, you reckon she still fancies him?"

"Ron," I said sharply, "I remember Cedric."

Ron dropped the letter, and he stared at me. At the same time, Hermione came running through the door. Ron and I watched as she jogged to Professor Slughorn and whispered something to him. He nodded, his face looking morose, and she hurried over to me. Everyone in the class, already bored with taking notes, was watching Hermione.

"Harry, it's Cho," she whispered as quietly as she could, but I knew everybody in the silent room could hear her. I glanced over at Rosaline, and her face was stony. She glared at me, as if daring me to go after her.

Thinking of Cedric's blank face, lying lifeless on the grass, I jumped up. "Where is she?"

* * *

Her dark black hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun, her face was stained with tears, and her make up was running down her cheeks. When she saw me coming, she shook her head.

"Cho," I sighed, sitting down on the floor beside her.

"This is the girl's bathroom, Harry," she told me softly.

I leaned my head against the wall. "I remember Cedric, Cho." She gasped softly, blinking up at me. "And listen, I know you had a hard time with his...death, and we never really talked about it...so, if it will help, I'm willing to talk about him now. Ask me anything you want."

She hesitated. "What about Rosaline?"

I snorted. "Now you show concern for my relationship?" She grimaced. "Look, Cedric meant a lot to both of us. And it's not fair what happened to him, and it's not fair that the two of us have to deal with this. So, I don't care if it upsets Rosaline."

Cho let out a tiny sob, and I awkwardly put my arm around her. She leaned in easily to me, staining my shirt with her black tears. I whispered lame words of comfort in her ear. Truthfully, I wasn't very good at this, but I think the fact that I finally made the effort meant a lot to her. Cho cried for loads of silly reasons, but as she buried her head in chest, I knew these tears were real tears of anguish. She missed him.


	21. Three Little Words

**Chapter Thirty-One: **

**Three Little Words**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

_I looked down, clutching my stomach, watching the red blood dripping down onto the pure white snow. It was a sinister image, giving me sharp chills down my back. I gasped suddenly, the anguishing pain from my abdomen coming back into focus. Letting out a staggering cry, I dropped to me knees. It hurt too much. _

"Harry!" I opened my eyes slowly, the blurry image of a tall red haired, freckly Ron coming into focus. "You had the dream again, didn't you?" he asked, sighing.

"I just want to know what it means," I muttered, sitting up. I had lain on the couch in the common room just to take a short nap, but it appeared I had dozed off a little too long. The fire in the common room was no longer lit, the seats were empty, and the sky outside had darkened. "Where'd everybody go?" I wondered.

"Halloween feast," he reminded me. "We're late."

I cursed loudly. "I was supposed to meet Rosaline before the feast."

"You reckon she'll be mad?" Ron asked, climbing through the portrait hole.

"Pissed. She's already on edge because of the whole Cho thing." I cursed again, practically running down the stairs. Cho and I weren't exactly friends, but we were definitely friendli_er_. We now held frequent conversations in the hallway, shared a few jokes...we were just on friendlier terms. It drove Rosaline completely mad, but I couldn't just ignore Cho. Not after the connection we made over Cedric. She was one of the few people I knew that actually knew Cedric. And as I'd gotten to know her over the weeks, I'd realized she was more than just a weepy girl who couldn't move on. She was actually pretty cool, and I had fun with her sometimes. Which was a lot more than I could say for Rosaline. Lately, it'd been a real task to keep our relationship working. There were less laughs and more fights. I was starting to think that we worked better as friends.

"You're late," Rosaline snarled, waiting outside the Great Hall. She was leaning against the wall, her arms crossed.

"I fell asleep," I told her apologetically.

"The feast started thirty minutes ago." Her cold voice seemed to slice through the air.

"I think I'll just go inside," Ron said, cringing as Rosaline turned to glare at him.

"I'm sorry," I told her once Ron was gone.

She flipped her pale blonde hair back, sighing. "Look, I'm too tired to fight with you. I'll just see you after the feast, okay."

"Sounds great," I said cautiously, leaning forward to kiss her. She moved her head so that I awkwardly missed and kissed her cheek.

"After the feast...we need to talk..." she told me seriously before turning around and heading toward her group of friends.

"Sounds great. Really looking forward to it." I murmured sarcastically under my breath. I followed her inside, but instead, headed toward the Gryffindor table.

"Where were you?" Ginny asked once she saw me. She scooted aside, closing the gap between her and Dean to make room for me.

"I fell asleep," I told her. In front of me, Hermione and Ron were glaring at each other. Hermione's eyes were flashing, and Ron has his arms crossed, his chin lifted in a stubborn way. "What's with them?" I asked her in an undertone.

She shrugged. "Don't know...I thought you would know..."

I frowned, watching as Hermione finally turned away from Ron, looking terribly upset.

"Fine," she huffed, tears building in her eyes, "if you'd rather be immature and not tell me why you're so upset, then so be it. I'd rather not waste my time."

Ginny and I exchanged looks. "So," I commented loudly, "are you lot ready for the game next month?"

Ron, whose face was set and stony moments earlier, looked up at me and grinned. "I've been working on those moves you taught me, Harry. I think I'll pull them off by the game!"

"That's great, Ron!" Hermione beamed.

He acted as if he hadn't heard her. "But then again, Ravenclawe's loads harder than Hufflepuff."

Looking hurt, Hermione turned away and started a conversation with Neville. I felt Ginny kick Ron under the table, and he let out a pained groan. "Talk to your idiot best friend," Ginny hissed at me.

"No way," I retorted, "I'm staying out of this. And besides, my idiot best friend is _your_ idiot brother."

"This idiot can hear you," Ron snapped. Ginny and I grinned.

"Just apologize," I told him, gesturing to Hermione.

Ron glared at us. "No."

"Then at least tell her what's got your wand in a knot," Ginny advised.

Ron threw his fork down. "That's it. I don't even want to eat anymore. I've lost my appetite."

As Ron stomped out of the Great Hall, I turned to Ginny. "Are you happy now? You've done the impossible: you've made Ron stop eating."

She rolled her eyes and pushed me away. "Don't be so dramatic. Just go talk to him."

"Fine," I grumbled. On my way out of the Great Hall, Cho joined me.

"Hi-ya, Harry," she said cheerfully.

I smiled. "Hey, Cho."

"You're leaving early," she observed.

"Ginny made me," I told her grumpily. "And trust me, she may be small, but she is one scary little witch."

Cho giggled. "Yeah, I've seen her in the DA remember?"

I was about to tell her that actually I didn't remember much about the DA, but the sight of Rosaline stopped me. She was sitting at the foot of the stairs, gazing intently at me and Cho. Her mouth was slightly opened, and for the first time, she didn't look upset; just mystified.

"Bye, Harry!" Cho called cheerfully, traipsing up the stairs, past Rosaline.

I gave Cho a small wave before going over to sit beside Rosaline. When she didn't say anything, I said, "Did you see Ron? He left the Hall a few seconds ago...I reckon he and Hermione got into some sort of fight - Rosaline are you okay?"

She frowned. "What were you and Cho talking about?" she asked.

I narrowed my eyes at her; finally when I decided she wasn't upset, I shrugged. "Nothing, really. Ginny-" I began.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course. _Ginny_."

"What? Now you have a problem with Ginny?" I snapped.

"Of course not! Ginny's my friend! I have a problem with _you_." she retorted.

"Me? What did I do?"

"What did you do?" she asked in disbelief. "You mean besides fall for a girl who isn't your girlfriend?

I stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

Rosaline looked away, her eyes quickly filling with tears. "I tried so hard to ignore it."

"Ignore what?"

She bit her lip. "Harry, when we first got together, do you remember what we were doing before?"

I thought a few weeks back, my face scrunching up in concentration. "We were in the astronomy tower, right?"

Rosaline nodded. "And do you remember what we were talking about?"

I frowned. "Rosie, that was a really long time ago..."

"Well, I remember. And I can't believe for the life of me that I convinced myself that I could actually make you feel the same way about me that I feel about you."

"What in Merlin's pants are you talking about?" Rosaline was great and all, but sometimes, I just didn't understand her.

She looked down. "Harry, before we kissed, we were talking about Ginny, and how she broke your heart, and how it killed you to see her with Dean everyday. Face it, Harry. I tried to deny it, but I'm just your rebound. I was just a girl who was there for you when Ginny couldn't be. And the only reason you're still with me is because it still hurts you to see Ginny with Dean. And look at me! I'm so bloody dense; I'v been telling myself that I could make you feel the same for me, but it's obvious you never will. You'll always love Ginny. And you may try to move on, and you may even think you're moving on, but she'll always be the reason your relationships don't work. And she's definitely the reason this one isn't working."

I gazed at her pale face, the tears streaming down her cheeks. I was too stunned to say anything except "What exactly are you saying?"

She turned her head to the side, staring at something far off in the distance. "I'm saying that I don't deserve to be in a relationship with a bloke who clearly doesn't care for me." She turned to look at me. The tears had finally stopped trickling down her cheeks, and she no longer looked upset. Her jaw was set, but her eyes were still full of tears. "I don't want to be your girlfriend anymore, Harry," she said.

I stared at her, waiting for the tightening of my chest, the emptiness in the pit of my stomach, the hollow feeling in the back of my throat, the crushing sensation that makes me want to run under the covers and hide, anything similar to the way I felt when Ginny told me she was picking Dean. But much to my surprise, I didn't feel anything. Of course, I hated myself for hurting Rosaline, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense and the worse I felt about myself. Rosie was a beautiful, intelligent, caring, funny, kind girl, but I never saw her as more than a friend. Even when I kissed her, it didn't send the same electrical charge up my body that I got when Ginny kissed me.

Rosaline was right: Ginny would always be the one for me. She was utterly perfect in my eyes, and her imperfections, made her even more perfect to me. I loved everything about her. I loved the way she got that hard, blazing look in her eye, the way her eyes lit up whenever she laughed or smiled, the way she giggled like a four-year-old whenever Fred and George were around, the way her face turned a deep shade of scarlet whenever she was embarrassed, the way she wore her secondhand clothing with pride and ignored all the girls like Pansy Parkinson who mocked her for it, the way she stood up for her beliefs and always spoke her mind even if it got her into trouble, the way she defended to no end those she cared for, the way she remained loyal to all of her friends no matter what, the way her soft lips felt when she kissed me, the way her long mane of red hair swished behind her when she walked, the way my heart quickened when she held my hand...

I knew that nothing I did, or who I dated would ever change that. I was in love with Ginny Weasley.

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

I played with my eggs, dragging it around the plate aimlessly with my fork.

"Just go talk to him," Ginny advised me. I looked up to find her watching me, a pitying expression on her face. Beside her, Luna had at some point made her way to the Gryffindor table. I hadn't even noticed her, which was odd, because, well, I always noticed Luna. It was hard to miss a girl who wore radishes for earrings.

"I don't know why he's mad," I complained.

"Because he's an idiot," Ginny replied easily. The corner's of Luna's mouth twitched slightly.

"You reckon I did something to upset him?" I wondered, thinking back to the past couple days...when was it that he had started acting cold towards me? I remembered the last time we had held a full conversation was in Slughorn's class, after Harry and Rosaline had had another sily fight and I found Cho in the bathroom crying. When I came back, that was when he had started acting odd. What was it that had upset him so? Why had he dragged this on for weeks? "Yu know what," I said, throwing my notes and books back carelesslly into my back pack. "I think I _will _talk to him! I've given him plenty of chances to tell me why he's so angry, and he doesn't want to tell me. I've got a right to know! That bloody twat." I muttered quietly, stalking out the Great Hall.

"Rosaline!" I gasped, seeing the tiny girl sitting at the foot of the stairs. She had a numb, glazed off expression on her face, but her bright grey eyes were swimming with tears. When she heard me call her, she glanced over at me.

"Oh, hello, Hermione," she mumbled.

"What happened? Are you alright?" I asked concernedly.

She sighed glumly. "Harry and I...we broke up..."

I stopped in my tracks. I knew eventually they wouldn't last, but that never meant I didn't want them to work things out. "I'm so sorry," I told her, hesitantly sitting beside her.

She shrugged. "It's for the best, really."

"Where is Harry anyway?"

She glanced up. "I think he was looking for Ron."

I nodded. "Yeah, I was looking for Ron too."

She sighed. "I should've known it would never work out between the two of us. I mean, for crying out loud, I went into this relationship knowing he was in love with another girl."

"Ginny," I guessed.

She nodded. "Harry's a great bloke, but I shouldn't have to put up with that. I was a good girlfriend, I didn't deserve to be ignored or put aside. And most of all, I shouldn't have had to compete for his affections or attention. If he didn't want to be with me, then he should have told me. He shouldn't have led me on! He should've just broken up with me."

I froze, thinking of Ron. He had ignored me for weeks...what if he wanted to break up with me! Panicking, I jumped up. "Excuse me a minute, Rosaline," I mumbled, running up the stairs.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I glanced around the empty library. Madam Pince was at her desk, looking through books. When she saw me enter, her face hardened and she told me to be quiet.

"I wasn't even talking!" I exclaimed.

"SHH!"

Grumbling, I turned away. I heard loud giggles, and I instantly knew I had found what I was looking for. I followed the sound of the giggles, and I soon found myself face to face with a loud group of Ravenclawe girls. They were sitting at a table, books opened in front of them, giggling at something that probably wasn't even funny. Cho was sitting in the middle, smiling. As I approached them, the giggling instantly stopped as each girl turned their heads to glare at me. Between them and Madam Pince, I wasn't sure I would be safe in the library.

"Harry," Cho said in surprise.

"Can we talk?" I asked her. "Alone," I added, glancing at all the girls who looked like they wanted to claw my eyes out.

She glanced at her friends. "Erm...yeah, sure..." She led me away from her friends, to a corner of the library where the girls could no longer stare me down.

"Lovely friends," I told her.

She grimaced. "They've been a bit protective...since the break up..." she trailed off before things could get awkward.

"Right. Sorry about that." I told her. "I guess I'm not very good at relationships."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed. "Rosaline broke up with me."

Cho's eyes widened, and she gasped loudly, her hands covering her mouth. "Oh no! Harry, I'm so sorry if it was because of me."

"It wasn't," I assured her. "It was because of...Ginny."

Relief washed over Cho's face, but she quickly replaced it with understanding. "Right. Because you're practically in love with the Weasley girl."

"Is it that obvious?" I grimaced.

She sighed. "Only because she's also the reason you broke up with _me_."

"That's not true-" I began, but Cho quickly cut me off.

"Look, I don't know how long you've had these feelings for Ginny, but it's obvious you've had them for a while. Maybe you even had them before the accident, but it's about time you did something about it, Harry."

"She's with Dean," I pointed out.

"Not for long. I've seen the way the two of you are when you're together."

I glanced back to the silent table, where I knew Cho's friends were probably trying to listen to every word we were saying. I sighed, looking back at Cho. "Look, after everything that happened with Rosaline...I just wanted to make sure I apologized to you. I really hurt Rosie, and I'm sorry if I ever hurt you too."

She sighed. "You did, but it worked out for the best. We rushed into this so quickly, right after Ced died...I realize now that I needed more time to mourn. I think I need to be on my own for a bit before I begin a new relationship. I think what happened was for the best." I nodded, relieved. "And Harry?" Cho added. "I'm sorry for being such a nuisance to you and Rosaline...I know I must have caused some tension between the two of you."

I smiled. "Nah. See you later, Cho." She patted my arm gently before turning the corner. Behind several bookcases, I heard a flutter of girls whispering. Rolling my eyes, I left the library, wondering what was going to happen now.

* * *

**Hermione Granger**

* * *

"What's the matter with you?" I shouted, banging open the dormitory door. Ron was inside, lying on his bed, playing with Ginny's pygmy puff.

When he saw me standing in the doorway, he sat up quickly, forgetting Arnold. "What are you doing doing here?" he asked, confused.

"Wondering what in Merlin's pants is wrong with you," I snarled.

He glared at me. "Me? I didn't do anything!" He jumped up. "You're the one who's sneaking around behind my back!" he accused.

"Sneaking around? What are you talking about!"

He glared at me. "I saw the letter from Krum."

I stared at him before bursting out into laughter.

"Why are you laughing?" he demanded looking bewildered.

"You think I still have feelings for Krum?" I managed to say between fits of giggles. "That's the problem? You're _jealous?_"

He glowered. "Then why did you keep the letter from him a secret? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

I stared at him. "How was I supposed to tell you anything if you've refused to speak with me for the past two weeks?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Did you even see what was in the letter? Did you even bother to read it before you accused me of cheating with Viktor?" I demanded.

"No," Ron said defensively, "that would be rude."

"Right. It's not okay for you to read a letter, but it's perfectly acceptable for you to accuse your completely innocent girlfriend of having an affair."

He ignored me. "So, what did the letter say?"

"_Viktor _was writing to me because he wanted to tell me he was ENGAGED, you inconsiderate, self-absorbed, impertinent arsehole!"

Ron's face lit up. "Oh, _Vicky's _getting married. Send him my best."

I glared at him. "Ronald Weasley!" I screeched furiously.

He winced. "Okay, so I made a mistake. It happens."

"How could you possibly believe I would still have feelings for Viktor?" I felt like pulling my hair out. "I can't believe I'm in love with a bloody idiot, and to-" I froze, covering my mouth, horrified.

"Did you just say you loved me?" Ron asked, stunned. His ears were turning red.

Panicking, I said, "No, I didn't. I take it back!"

Laughing, Ron pulled me into his arms. "That's too bad, because I love you too."

He leaned down to kiss me, but I pulled away. "This doesn't mean I'm not still mad at you," I told him.

"Whatever you say," he mumbled, kissing me again. Shivering at his touch, I gave in, pulling his face closer to mine.


	22. Jealousy

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

**Jealousy**

* * *

**Ginny Weasley**

* * *

I flew down, landing firmly on the grass. Harry landed right beside me, shaking his head. I turned to face him, and he winced, knowing what was coming. "I WIN!" I shouted, jabbing his chest.

"Yes, you did," he agreed sorrowfully, rubbing his chest.

"Do you know what this means?" I asked him, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"That you got lucky?"

"That I'm better than you! I, Ginevra Molly Weasley, am a better Quidditch player than Harold James Potter!"

"It's just Harry," he corrected me.

"Never again will I walk these cursed halls, ashamed of my lesser abilities. Do you know why? Because I am a better player than you. I BEAT your sorry arse!" I taunted him, jumping around him eagerly like a five-year-old.

"Is it really that important to you to be a better player?" he asked, amused.

"Yes, because I am."

"Fine," he sighed, shaking his head. "Then I also admit that I, Harrold James Potter-"

"It's just Harry," I corrected.

"-am not as good of a Quidditch player than you, Ginevra Molly Weasley," he finished.

I grinned. "And don't you forget it."

"You know," he told me as we started for the locker rooms, "you could try being nicer to me."

"And why is that?"

He looked at me mournfully, his hand over his chest. "I _am_ in the middle of a nursing back a very broken heart."

I snorted. "Right, and I could see just how upset you were last night." I smiled, remembering the humiliation Harry suffered the night before, when the Gryffindors had housed a wild party after the feast in celebration of Halloween. Ron and Hermione, who had just declared their undying love for one another and blah blah blah, were busy snogging all night. Meanwhile, Harry had his first taste of firewhiskey, and let's just say, he overdid it a bit.

He grimaced. "Yeah, let's not talk about that."

I laughed. "What's the matter? Ashamed?"

He looked at me seriously. "I stood on the table, took my shirt off, and sang the school song at the top of my lungs with Seamus and Neville. Damn right I'm embarrassed."

"Well, if it helps, I thought you have a very lovely voice."

He laughed. "Surprisingly enough, that actually doesn't bring me much comfort."

We walked in silence for a minute before I took his hand. "All jokes aside, you are okay, right? I know the whole Rosaline thing must have really upset you."

He squeezed my hand. "I'm fine. Honestly, the break up had been coming for weeks. It was only a matter of time."

I threw my arms around his neck, burying my head in his chest. He was taken by surprise at first, but then I felt him wrap his arms around my waist gently. "She was a cow for breaking up with you," I whispered in his ear.

He laughed softly. "Nah, I deserved it."

I smiled, letting go of him. "I doubt that. Anyway, I'll see you in a bit, okay?" I watched as he nodded and headed for the men's shower, and I headed in the opposite direction.

* * *

Outside, it was finally starting to get colder, and I was stubbornly fighting the weather, still determined to wear my shorts and flip flops. But ten minutes outside, and I had to come in. I found myself in Dean's dormitory, lying on his bed, playing with Arnold, who was slowly starting to fall asleep. I kept glancing over at Harry's unmade bed, wondering where he was.

"Ginny?" Dean had come strolling into the room, his hair still wet from the shower. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm bored. Everybody's busy." I replied.

He grinned, throwing his towel aside. "Bored, huh?"

"Yeah," I said sitting up, and putting Arnold away. "Hey, did you hear about Rosaline and Harry? She broke up with him!"

"Very interesting," Dean mumbled, climbing into bed with me. He rolled me over so that he was on top of me, gently kissing my neck.

"Yeah, so I was thinking that he probably doesn't have anybody to go to Hogsmeade with him this weekend. Maybe he could join us."

Dean stopped kissing me and looked up. "Gin, he's the Chosen One for Godric's sake. I'm sure there are people lining up to hang out with him."

"Yeah, but I don't trust that those people won't spill any secrets," I countered. "You know very well Dumbledore doesn't want too much revealed to Harry too soon. It could overwhelm him!"

Dean sighed. "Well, I was planning this whole romantic day for us."

I frowned. "We'll do it another day. Come on, Dean. He's our friend. He needs us."

"Fine," he grumbled. Smiling, I propped myself on my elbows and gave Dean a tiny peck, but he quickly deepened the kiss, shoving his tongue down my throat. His hands travelled under my shirt.

"Dean, stop," I sighed, grabbing his hand. "I'm not in the mood. Can't we just talk?"

Dean sat up, annoyed. "Talk? About what? Harry?"

I frowned. "No...anything..."

He sighed. "You've been acting odd ever since Harry and Rosaline broke up."

I bit my lip. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me strangely, as if contemplating whether or not it was worth saying anything. "Nothing," he finally mumbled. "What do you want to talk about?"

* * *

Harry frowned. "Hogsmeade? With you and Dean?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" I exclaimed. "I mean, this is Ron and Hermione's chance to go on their first date, so why don't you just join me and Dean?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Don't you and Dean want to go on some romantic date?"

I shook my head. "We've had plenty. Come on, Harry. Won't you join us? You'll love Hogsmeade!"

"As long as I'm not intruding," he agreed cautiously.

"Of course not."

He shrugged. "Brilliant. You can show me all the good spots."

I beamed. "Yeah! Ooh! I can't wait to show you Zonko's...you know, Fred and George are thinking of buying it. Oh, and there's Honeyduke's...they have the best candy there. Anything you can think of...well, except for that odd muggle candy Dad is so fond of. You know, he goes into a muggle town every week just to buy their candy? Honestly, it's not even that good."

"Well, Mars Bars are actually quite good," he told me fairly.

"That's because you haven't tasted real candy yet. Not that muggle rubbish."

"That's not fair. I've tasted wizard candy before...I just can't remember it."

I rolled my eyes. "That doesn't count."

We sat in silence for a few minutes, each of us absorbed in homework. After a couple of minutes of reading, though, I grew bored on Goblin Wars, and instead, I found my eyes wandering around the empty library. Madam Pince was waving her wand, sending books flying across the room, landing neatly onto the correct shelves. When she noticed me watching her, she narrowed her eyes, and I quickly looked away. My eyes soon found my best friend, Luna, who was making her way towards us. She had put her long blonde hair into a bun, sticking her wand through it for safety. Her uniform was decorated with a large pin, advertising _The Quibbler_, and small radishes hung from her ears.

"At least she's not working her butterbeer necklaces," Harry commented, noticing me watching.

I laughed. "I think it's cute."

He shrugged. "I think it's insane. But what do I know? I can't even remember my middle name most of the time."

"It's James," I told him.

He rolled his hands. "Thanks."

I looked back to Luna. "She's one of a kind."

Harry nodded. "That she is."

"Hello, Harry. Ginny." Luna greeted, pulling up a chair beside us. "I heard you were going to Hogsmeade with Dean and Ginny," Luna remarked, turning to Harry.

"How did you hear that?" I asked, frowning. I didn't remember telling Luna anything.

She glanced at me, her bright eyes searching my face for something. "I overheard Dean and Seamus talking."

Harry, who was measuring his parchment, looked at us frowning. "I still need half a foot." He stood up, looking around. "I need to go find another book," he muttered, scanning the titles of the books near us.

I watched him wander off, a smile on my face. It wasn't until Luna poked me in the arm that I finally turned around. "What?" I demanded, noticing her hard gaze.

"If you want to be with Harry, then just break up with Dean," she told me, her voice serious. I'd known Luna for years, but I still found it disturbing when she wasn't speaking in her usual dreamy tone.

"It's not that simple," I told her.

She glared at me. "I heard Dean and Seamus talking...you're really hurting Dean, you know. He reckons you're going to break up with him soon. He was really upset."

I stared at her, my heart pounding. "Dean said that."

"If you're scared Harry won't like you back, fine, but that doesn't mean you should lead Dean on." She got up. "I fancy some pudding," she said absentmindedly, her voice returning to its usual dreaminess. "You want to come to dinner?" she asked.

I stared at her, slowly shaking my head. "I'm okay..."

She shrugged, skipping out the library, her long hair swishing behind her.

Here's the thing with Luna: she was brilliant. Her soft, dreamy voice and strange beliefs made her seem like a ditz at times, but she was the smartest girl I knew (well, maybe besides Hermione...but I doubt anybody was smarter than Hermione). She had moments like these, where it seemed as if she just saw right through everybody. She told me how I was feeling before I even knew, and that was the thing with Luna. She could always see, and she always knew.

Sighing, I closed my book. I didn't think I still had feelings for Harry...I thought I'd been moving on...

"Hey, where'd Luna go?" Harry asked, returning with a pile of books in his arms.

"Dinner," I told him. He nodded and we returned to work, but I kept glancing up at him, wondering whether he still felt anything for me. "Harry," I asked softly.

"Yeah?" He asked, not looking up.

My pulse quickened, and I kept my head down, staring at the book in front of me. "Why exactly did you and Rosaline break up?"

I heard the scratching of his quill stop. "What?"

I forced myself to look up at him. "I was just wondering...never mind...it's just that we never talked about it...forget it."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No, no, it fine...erm...it was really stupid really. Rosaline reckoned I didn't fancy her the way I should...my fault, really. I should have been more attentive as a boyfriend. She reckoned I had feelings for somebody else."

My eyes widened. "Who?"

His startling green eyes locked with mine. "You know."

I gulped. "Well...is it true?"

He stared at me, our eyes locked intently. He was about to answer, when familiar voices, bickering loudly stopped us.

"You can't call her that!" Hermione reprimanded, her voice stern. Harry and I both jumped, looking around wildly for the familiar voice. Hermione and Ron came into sight as they turned into the aisle, bickering.

"Why not?" Ron demanded.

"It's rude! Her name is _Luna_."

"Yeah, well, if she didn't act so damn crazy all the time then- hey! Harry!" Ron exclaimed, spotting us. Hermione turned around to see us, her angry face softening. They made their way towards us, and Harry and I exchanged nervous looks. His face was a light shade of pink, so I knew my face must have been burning.

"What are you working on?" Hermione asked, pulling up a chair for herself.

"Snape's essay," Harry muttered darkly.

Ron made a face. "Hate Snape."

I glared at Ron. "What was that about you calling Luna _loony_?"

He rolled his eyes. "Well, she is!" I kicked him under the table. "You call her that all the time!" Ron exclaimed, wincing.

"That's different. I'm her best friend."

"So? Harry's my best friend and I don't go around calling him scarface."

Harry frowned. "Good. I'd kill you if you did that."

"No, you just go around calling sweet girls _loony_," I hissed.

"So, what were you guys talking about before?" Hermione asked, pulling out parchment from her backpack. Harry and I locked eyes for a second, but we both looked away quickly, our faces burning. Ron hardly noticed, flipping through a copy of _The Quibbler _that Luna left. Hermione, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at us.

"Ginny," she said abruptly, "can I have a word?" Nodding, I got up and followed her around the corner. She led me past several aisle of bookcases before she finally stopped. We were a safe distance from the boys. They couldn't hear us, but we could still see them from where we were standing.

"What's going on, Hermione?" I asked innocently.

She glared at me. "I should ask you the same thing. What's with you and Harry?"

I shrugged innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You have a _boyfriend_, Ginny."

I looked down at my feet. "Nothing's going to happen between me and Harry."

"And nothing should. At least, not until you break things off with Dean."

"I can't."

"Why not?" she groaned, gripping her hair.

"I can't take that risk, Hermione. Not if he won't feel the same way when he remembers."

She stared at me. "Is it like a Weasley thing to be so thick sometimes?"

I glared at her. "Funny."

"Harry is crazy about you! Nothing will change that, not even a few memories of Cho."

"And if something does change that? Is it really worth the risk?"

She smiled, glancing back at Ron. "I think it is."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh my Godric! I can't talk to you when you're in love."

She turned her gaze back to me. "Look, do what you want, but just know that sometimes it's worth the risk." She gave me a small pat before walking past me, headed toward Ron and Harry. I stood there, frozen for a long time before I finally gained the courage to turn around and follow her back.

* * *

"Ready to go?" I asked Dean, bouncing into his dormitory.

He glanced up at me, zipping up his jacket. "Yeah. You look excited."

I beamed. "I am. It's our first Hogsmeade trip this year! Blimey, I've forgotten how nice it was to leave the castle once in a while. Plus, I can't wait to show Harry all the shops. I was up all night thinking of the places he would enjoy."

"You were up all night thinking about me?" I turned around to find Harry standing behind me, smirking. He looked around me to Dean. "It looks like you've got some competition, mate."

Dean laughed. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah...where's Seamus?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at the unmade bed at the end of the room.

"Wondering why I got shot down again," Seamus grumbled, coming through the doorway.

"He asked Pavarti to Hogsmeade," I informed Harry. "And she said no."

Seamus glared at me. "You know, you don't need to go around telling people that."

I shrugged. "Not my fault you can't get a date."

Harry snorted, and Dean bit back a smile. Seamus looked at Dean. "You better control your girlfriend, here, mate," he said warningly.

I laughed, throwing a book from Ron's bed at Seamus. "See! That's why you don't have a girlfriend."

"What's going on in here?" Ron demanded, striding into the room, Hermione close behind him.

"Five sickles Hermione calls Ron 'Ronald' before they leave," Harry whispered in my ear, a twinkle in his eyes.

"You're on," I muttered back to him, grinning.

"Seamus got turned down by Pavarti, and Ginny's annoying him." Dean filled them in quickly.

Ron shrugged. "Right, so just the usual. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Dean grimaced. "Basically."

I rolled my eyes. "I thought the two of you left hours ago."

Hermione glared in Ron's direction. "Somebody forgot their wallet."

Ron's ears turned a bright pink. "At least I realized it in time before we bought anything!"

Hermione sighed. "But we still had to come all the way back, and didn't I ask you before we left if you had gotten your wallet."

"Well, when you asked, I did have it! I just forgot to keep it with me." Ron countered.

Hermione rolled her eyes, starting for the door. "Well, hurry up!" she called.

"Looks like you lost," I mumbled to Harry victoriously.

He held up his finger. "Not yet...there's still time..."

"So," Ron said, straightening up with his wallet in his hand, "maybe we could all meet up later?"

"Lunch at the Three Broomstciks?" Seamus offered.

Ron nodded. "Sounds good," he said, heading toward the door.

"Ronald, hurry up!" Hermione screeched from below, making Ron scurry out the room quickly.

"NO!" I groaned.

"YES!" Harry shouted triumphantly, grinning. "Cough it up, Weasley," he demanded, sticking out his outstretched hand for me.

"I hate you," I told him, handing him the five silver coins; but there was a smile on my face that I couldn't force away no matter how hard I tried.

Dean and Seamus were staring at us, confused. "I don't understand," Seamus muttered, "what are they talking about?"

Dean gave us a dark look. "Get used to it." He started for the door, his back turned to me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I called after him.

"Nothing," he mumbled back.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Fine," I grumbled, taking Harry and Seamus's hands. "Be that way."

"Well," Seamus said fairly as we traipsed downstairs, "in a way, I guess I do get to hold a girl's hand on my way to Hogsmeade."

Harry nodded. "And she's really fit. You can't do much better."

Seamus nodded approvingly at me. "That's true. She is really fit."

"_She_ is standing right here," I said, annoyed. "You guys are sick," I remarked, smacking both of them.

* * *

**Dean Thomas**

* * *

Harry and Ginny stood in the back, leaning against the wall. From where they were standing, they had a perfect view of the entire store. Meanwhile, Seamus and I were still shopping. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the two of them laughing. I slammed down the cauldron I had in my hand. The store manager gave me a filthy look.

"Woah, there, mate," Seamus said, raising his eyebrows. "You alright?"

I glanced back at Harry and Ginny. They weren't standing close together or flirting or anything inappropriate. They were just laughing. Nothing wrong with that. But why did I feel the burning urge to punch Harry's face?

Seamus noticed me watching the two of them, and I quickly looked away, continuing down the aisle. "You know, I really need a new cauldron...help me find a pewter one...size two I think..." I muttered, browsing through the contents in the store. Ginny's laugh travelled across the room, and against my best efforts, I turned my head in their direction. And I realized what had been bothering me so much about them. It wasn't that they were laughing or enjoying themselves. It was the way Ginny turned to look at Harry, her eyes lighting up, full of warmth and happiness. Harry's eyes locked with hers, filled with the same light and passion. Anybody who saw them staring at each other like that would have thought they were in love.

"Standard size two...pewter!" Seamus voice drifted me back. "Mate, I found your cauldron."

I forced myself to tear my eyes away from Harry and Ginny. "Brilliant. Let's pay and go." I told Seamus, following him to the register. I glanced back at Harry and Ginny, but they were turned away from each other this time, just talking. When they saw me and Seamus near the register, they started toward us.

"It's nearly noon," Seamus commented as I handed the manager, who still looked annoyed with me, money. "I reckon it's about time we meet Ron and Hermione at the Three Broomsticks."

Ginny nodded. "Okay, but after I really want to take Harry to Zonko's. I talked to Fred and George and they might stop by there later too."

Harry, who was pulling out a piece of candy from his Honeduke's bag, looked at her. "Aren't they trying to buy Zonko's?"

"Thanks," I muttered to the manager as he handed me my bag, and we started for the door.

Seamus grinned. "Fred and George taking over Zonko's? That would be brilliant!"

I walked in silence, keeping my eye on Harry and Ginny, but they just chattered with Seamus, walking several feet apart from each other. After a while, I began to think that I was just being paranoid, and I wrapped my arm around Ginny. She didn't lean into me, though like usual, and after about a minute or so, she completely pulled away from me.

"FRED! GEORGE!" she squealed, spotting her older brothers standing outside the Three Broomsticks with Ron and Hermione. We watched her run toward her brothers, jumping into their outstretched arms.

"Did you see that?" I muttered to Seamus in an undertone. "She pulled away from me!"

He glanced up at me, frowning. "Yeah...because she saw her brothers..."

I shook my head. I knew I wasn't being paranoid. There was something different between me and Ginny, and by looking at the laughing Harry, who was being lifted up by Fred and George, I knew exactly who was to blame.

After Fred and George finally put Harry down, they turned to me. "Dean! Seamus! Good to see you two!" They beamed at us. "Sorry to intrude, but we thought we'd join in on your little lunch plans."

Seamus shrugged. "Hey, Ginny told us you were planning on buying Zonko's!"

Fred and George exchanged looks. "Well, we were hoping too-" Fred began.

"-but Hogsmeade has been a bit dead since that whole He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named coming back to life and whatnot," George finished, sighing.

"It's horrible for business," Fred sighed, shaking his head.

Hermione frowned. "Fred, that's not funny. It's serious!"

Ron rolled his eyes, leading us inside the bar full of students. "You know, you of all people could benefit from having Fred and George around more." He said to Hermione.

Seamus nodded. "It'd be just like old times! You know, before you quit school and all."

We all nodded fervently. Hogwarts wasn't the same without two of its most famous and notorious pranksters. Things started getting a tad dull without their spontaneous parties and pranks.

"Table for," George stopped, turning around to count all of us, "eight."

Madam Rosmerta nodded, looking stricken at the large group of teenagers all gathered in her pub. "Right this way," she said, leading us toward the back to the largest booth they had in the corner. I found myself sitting across from Ginny, and she was sandwiched between the two twins. Seamus and Ron were beside them. Hermione was able to squeeze herself next to Ron. I was sitting beside Hermione with Harry to my other side.

"So, how are things back home?" Ron asked his brothers.

George- or Fred?- shrugged. "Same as usual. Dad plays with muggle toys and Mum yells a lot."

"Although," the other twin said, waggling his eyebrows, "Mum shared some very interesting news with us the other day. She said that Granger, here, has finally agreed to go out with you, little brother."

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks. It was hard to tell which one was redder than the other.

"That's none of your business," Hermione told them coolly.

George- or was it Fred?- grinned. "Fine. We understand. You need your privacy, but just answer us one thing."

"Was it a love potion?" Fred- or George?- asked.

"Maybe she just had a terrible fall," the other twin said, grinning.

"What are you talking about?" Ron demanded.

"We're just trying to figure out what such an excellent girl would be doing with such a dungbrain, that's all."

Ron looked furious. "Now, listen here-"

I turned to exchange a look with Ginny, but she was already grinning at Harry. The two of them exchanged amused looks, quickly looking away smiling. Again, I felt the urge to push Harry out of the booth.

While Ron yelled at Fred and George, another girl came up to our booth. "Harry?" Cho Chang said shyly.

Harry turned to look at Cho, smiling. "Cho!"

She glanced at Fred and George who were laughing as Ron yelled at them. "Some things never change, huh?"

He shrugged. "I guess not."

She bit her lip. "Listen, could I talk to you for a second...in private. It won't take long, I swear!"

He looked around at the others who were all busy with their own conversations. Ron was still yelling at a laughing Fred and George. Hermione was comforting Seamus about Pavarti. Only Ginny and I seemed to be paying attention to Cho and Harry.

"Erm...yeah, I guess. I'll be back in a minute," he informed Ginny and me.

Ginny's face hardened slightly but she nodded. With a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, I watched her as she stared at Harry and Cho turn into a private corner.

"Hey, where's Harry?" Ron suddenly asked, noticing his best friend was missing.

"With Cho," Ginny answered begrudgingly.

Fred and George grinned. "Looks like Harry might be getting lucky."

Ginny frowned. "But they're broken up!"

The twins smiled at her condescendingly, patting her head gently. "Ah, to be young and naive."

She glared at them. "Touch me again and-"

"Why do you even care?" I asked, cutting her off.

She looked at me. "How would you feel if your two prat brothers kept petting you like you were some kind of dog?"

"Not that. Why do you care if Harry talks to Cho?"

She shrugged. "I was just curious." She said it so easily that I almost believed it myself until I noticed her gaze drift to Harry and Cho, her easy smile wilting.

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I laughed, holding my arms open. Cho hesitated before hugging me. Once she had her arms around me, though, she squeezed me tight, laughing.

"This is brilliant, Cho," I told her, slowly releasing her from my grip.

"Harry?" another soft voice said. I turned my head to find Ginny staring at me, her mouth slightly open.

I grinned. "Hey! I'll be back at the table in just a minute-"

"_Harry_," she cut me off, her face hardening and her eyes going wide. "It's Mundugus...they found him."


	23. Dung's Story

**Chapter Twenty-Three:**

**Dung's Story**

* * *

**Mundugus Fletcher**

* * *

"Had me trapped in their for months...nutters all of them..." I muttered as Madam Pomfrey dabbed my face with a cold cloth. "Oi! Watch it!" I yelped as she began tearing away at my shirt. She gave me a cold look before continuing.

"What do you think, Poppy?" Minerva asked nervously. "Do you think he'll need to be sent to St. Mungo's?"

She studied my wounds. "I'll have him fixed up by tomorrow...but it'll be a long night for him."

"Bless your heart!" I said as she threw me a pair of pajamas and closed the curtains around me. Instantly, I felt the pain from my wounds fade away, and I knew the potions were working.

Minerva sighed, relieved. "Well, at least we've avoided the papers for now. It won't be long until they discover he's been found."

"Keep an eye on him," Madam Pomfrey instructed, her heels clacking away. "I'll be back with more potions."

I pulled the curtain away, sitting comfortably on the stretcher. I grinned up at Minerva, but she just gave me a cold, stern look. "Aww, come on Minny. Aren't you glad to see me?"

Her lips thinned so much that they disappeared. "You're lucky those Death Eaters got a hold of you before I did," she said coldly. "Leaving Harry alone...unprotected like that! The second time you proved yourself an unreliable-"

"Hey! Hey!" I snapped, putting my hands up. "I apologized for that remember! Where is the kid anyway? I figure I owe him an apology."

"Hogsmeade," she told me as Remus, Kinglsey, Molly, and Arthur came through the double doors.

"Is that really safe? Considering what happened?" Molly asked.

"Tonks and some other aurors have been tailing him," Remus informed her comfortingly. Molly relaxed slightly, but her face still looked troubled.

"Hey!" I greeted all of them, brightening up at the sight of Remus. He and Sirius always went easy on me. "Long time no see!"

Remus sent me such a hard glare that I was reminded of Severus for a minute. "I'll deal with you in a minute," he told me before turning back to the others. "And the papers? The ministry? Does anybody know he's been found?"

Kingsley shook his head. "Not yet, but it won't be long until they get a hold of this."

"And Narcissa Malfoy?" Minerva asked.

"I'm sure they're discovering right now that they're prisoner is no longer in the house with them," Arthur said grimly.

"Well, I'll provide a statement!" I announced. "I want that woman thrown in Azkaban!"

Molly looked at me, and I literally flinched. I knew it was taking all the strength she possessed not to attack me. "If we're talking about people who belong in jail-"

"Molly," Arthur said weakly, holding his wife back.

"It's his fault, Arthur!" she screeched. "Harry's disappearance, the fact that he was kidnapped and _tortured_!"

I straightened up. "How is Harry anyway? I owe the kid another apology, eh."

"You owe him a lot more than that," Remus said darkly. "He's lost his memory because of you."

I froze, my mouth dropping open. "What? Well, that explains loads...no wonder the Death Eaters were all so confused..."

The four of them stopped talking and turned to look at me. "What do you know?" Kinglsey asked.

I shrugged. "Not much. I tried to listen in as much as I could, but it was hard to understand what they were talking about."

"Get Dumbledore," Minerva ordered.

Kingsley nodded, leaving the room.

"And the kids? Are they on their way?" Mrs. Weasley asked anxiously.

"Tonks is bringing them," Remus reassured her.

The high heeled clacks returned and we all turned to stare at Madam Pomfrey as she came out of her office, carrying a tray full of tonics and potions. "One night in here and you'll be good in not time," she told us, sitting beside me.

I eyed the slimy green ointment in her hand. "Now, lady, is that going to hurt-OI!" I flinched back as she dabbed generous amounts of ointment around my face.

She clucked her tongue. "Your worse than the first years."

I grumbled to myself as Molly, Arthur, and Minerva talked in whispers, their eyes constantly flickering back to me. Boy, you get kidnapped a few month and you miss so much, and suddenly everybody hates you. When Dumbledore came in with Kingsley, I shrank back in my bed; but much to my relief, they hardly even looked at me. They huddled around the others, continuing their whispered conversations.

I could tell Madam Pomfrey was getting annoyed, though. "More visitors? Professor, surely you know the rules!" she exclaimed, acknowledging Dumbledore.

Dumbledore smiled apologetically to her. "So sorry, dear Poppy, but these are _special _circumstances."_  
_

She sighed, standing up, carefully placing the tray beside me. "Very well. But my patient needs rest."

"We won't bother you much longer. Give us thirty minutes?" he asked.

"Alright. Only thirty, though," she warned as my stomach growled loudly.

I grimaced apologetically, rubbing my stomach. "Sorry...it's been ages since I've had a decent meal."

"I'll get something from the kitchens," she told me briskly, her heels already clacking away. "Ah, more guests," she said bitterly at the door as Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins ran inside.

"Oi, Dung!" Fred (or George?) said, spotting me.

"You look horrible," George (maybe Fred) told me, recoiling at the sight of ointments covering up all my wounds.

"That's Mundugus," Harry demanded, looking at me dubiously.

"Who else were you expecting. Listen, Harry, I figure I owed you an apology...you know, abandoning you and all..."

Harry shrugged. "It's fine. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Mrs. Weasley scoffed. "Barely!"

"Molly," Mr. Weasley said weakly.

"Mundugus," Dumbledore said seriously, "what happened?"

I straightened up. Dunno, really. I woke up in the cellar with no memory of how I got there. At first, I figured I had one too many drinks at the Hog's Head, but then that Bellatrix Lestrange witch showed up-" I shivered, remembering the way she tortured me.

"Why did you leave Harry?" Remus demanded.

I closed my eyes, thinking back to that one summer's day all those months ago.

* * *

_"What is this place anyway?" Lenny asked, looking around the tidy streets of Privet Drive. _

_I shrugged nervously. "Just found myself here."_

_"Well, Mundugus, you gotta come! The stores in Diagon Alley have been completely deserted. They've left loads behind!" he exclaimed, throwing his bag of stolen goods over his shoulder. _

_"You got all of that just now?" I asked, amazed. _

_He nodded. "And there's more! Come on!"_

_I looked back to Number 4 Privet Drive. Harry had locked himself in his room all day; he probably wouldn't go wandering off any time soon. Besides, old Figgy was right next door. I'd go, grab a few things, and be back in less than ten minutes. I glanced once more at Harry's window. He was bent over his desk, reading a letter. I could see Figgy through her kitchen window, feeding her cats. Deciding I'd only go for a minute or two, I disapparated. _

* * *

"Lenny?" Molly raised her eyebrows. "So, along with abandoning Harry, you also brought another wizard to the only place he was safe?"

"Lenny's a good guy," I reassured her.

"Is he friends with you?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then, I doubt that."

"_Anyway," _Lupin said, "what happened then?"

I sighed, going back to my story. "Well, like I said, I was only gone for a few minutes...

* * *

_"Where have you been? Is Harry with you?" Figgy screeched, running out her door. _

_"I was doing some business, relax," I told her, proudly clutching my bag of goods. _

_"HARRY'S MISSING, YOU USELESS PILE OF BAT DROPPINGS!" she screamed, throwing anything she could get her hands on at me. _

_"What do you mean missing?"_

_"Gone! Disappeared! Nowhere to be found!" _

_I shook my head. "You're mad. I left a few minutes ago and he was in his room."_

_"He LEFT! Now, go look for him!" she ordered. "I've already warned Dumbledore."_

* * *

"So, after you couldn't find him, what happened?" Arthur asked.

"I went to Dumbledore, but he already knew, and he had people out there, looking for Harry."

Kingsley nodded. "He sent me and a few others to Malfoy Manor, but we couldn't find him in there."

I looked at Remus. "Meanwhile, I went to Remus...to tell him the news...and he well-"

"Tried to kill you, yeah yeah. We were there, remember? Now, get to the good part. Who took you?" Ron demanded impatiently.

I scratched my head, trying to remember.

* * *

_"Did you hear? Harry Potter's been found!" Dedalus exclaimed, giggling excitedly. _

_I dropped the plate I was holding, and it shattered into pieces. "They did?" I gasped. _

_"He's at St. Mungo's right now. I reckon he'll be okay but-"_

_"He's okay! Brilliant!" I cried, relief washing over me. "You know, I actually fancy a drink..." _

_"But wait! There's more!" Dedalus called after me. "Harry! He's lost his-"_

_I tuned Dedalus out, bouncing out of the room giddily. Harry was alive and I wouldn't be in trouble anymore._

* * *

"So you went to the Hog's Head to celebrate," George finished for me.

"Exactly! But then the next day, I woke up in a dark room, with that evil Bellatrix woman standing over me. She called me a filthy thief, can you believe it?"

Molly huffed. "Can't imagine why she would say something like that."

"Why take you, though?" Minerva asked, frowning.

I shrugged. "They said I was an easy target."

"What did they want?" Dumbledore asked me seriously.

"Information on Harry," I told him. "They wanted ter know how much he remembered, but when I told them I didn't know what they were talking about, they just got angry and tortured me. I reckon when they realized I really didn't know anything, they just kept me locked up in the cellar. Bellatrix tortured me for fun sometimes when she got bored...it was horrible."

"Wait." Kingsley held up his hand, frowning. "We raided Malfoy Manor several times. How come we never found you?"

"Oh, yeah, I remember when you guys came. Rotten luck...I thought for sure you lot would rescue me...Well, when they saw you coming, all the Death Eaters cleared out, and they took me with them. After that, they kept me in some other place." I shuddered, and lowered my voice. "But when You-Know-Who moved into Malfoy Manor, they reckoned it was safer to move me back to the old cellar."

"You were living in the same house as You-Know-Who!" Hermione gasped.

I nodded, my face turning pale. "I never saw him personally, but I heard him...loads of times...it was worse when he talked to that horrible snake of his...I thought about killing myself several times when he was around..."

"What about Harry?" Ginny demanded, her face stony. "What did the Death Eaters do to him during that month that he was missing? Huh? How did he end up with _Peter _in the _Shrieking Shack?_"

"The Shrieking Shack?" I yelped. "That old haunted house in Hogsmeade?"

Arthur nodded. "With Peter Pettigrew."

"Better known as Wormtail," Remus added bitterly.

I sighed. "From what I gathered, the Death Eaters are as clueless about Harry's disappearance as you lot. I know that they were the ones who kidnapped him in the park, but they only had him for a few hours after that. When they next checked, both him and Peter Pettigrew were missing."

"So, Wormtail kidnapped Harry from his kidnappers?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows.

I nodded. "You-Know-Who was furious. And his Death Eaters really paid for it. They were terrified. Especially Narcissa. Everyday she came down, begging me to give her information."

"So, the Death Eaters don't know _anything_?" Minerva asked, disappointed.

"They do know that Wormtail took Harry to Russia," I added, hoping it would be useful information.

"Russia?" Dumbledore said, glancing at Harry.

"Yeah, at least, that's what they told You-Know-Who. Because Harry is an underage wizard, they were able to detect him all the way to Russia. But after that, I guess Wormtail only went to areas where there were loads of underage wizards using magic, because the trail went cold."

"That explains why he came near Hogwarts," Remus said. "Hogwarts is off the radar because there are so many underage students using magic...even during the summer, it's undetectable..."

"Russia," Harry muttered, frowning.

Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.

"Harry," Ginny said hopefully, "do you remember anything about...Russia?"

He frowned slightly. "Wormtail took me there after Bellatrix...erm...tortured me...I was still a little hurt, and I was bleeding." He looked at Dumbledore, his eyes widening. "My dream!"

Hermione gasped. "About the blood and the snow! Of course!"

"What?" I looked around wildly, confused by the dawning looks of comprehension on everybody's faces.

"I've been having these dreams where I'm on top of a snowy mountain, but I'm bleeding, and I never understood it before; because, you know, it doesn't snow in summer, but now I remember. Wormtail and I apparated on top of a snowy Russian mountain, and we walked down to a wizarding town, so that he could use magic without being tracked." Harry looked around eagerly, beaming.

"Thirty minutes! That's enough!" Madam Pomfrey came bursting through the double doors, carrying a plateful of food.

* * *

**Ginny Weasley**

* * *

"Wow," Harry mumbled as we climbed up the stairs, "I can't believe the dream finally makes sense."

I smiled. "And I can't believe Remus hasn't killed Dung yet."

He laughed. "Yeah, I've never seen Remus so..._mean_."

We passed by Cho and some of her friends, and Harry waved to her. "Hey, sorry for interrupting your conversation with Cho earlier," I said.

He frowned. "I'm glad you did. We solved the mystery of my dream." I nodded quietly and he looked at me. "You wanna know what we were talking about, don't you?"

I bit my lip. "Maybe."

He raised his eyebrows. "Jealous?"

I elbowed him. "No! Just curious. You two looked...intimate.."

He grinned. "She was actually just getting my advice on dating some Michael bloke."

I frowned. "Michael Corner?"

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Erm..yeah, we used to date."

He looked at me apologetically. "Oh, I didn't know...is that okay?"

I smiled. "Oh, no, yeah, it's fine. Good for Michael, right?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, he sounds like a nice bloke. Cho wasn't sure if she was ready to date yet, and she just wanted my advice."

"What'd you tell her?" I asked.

He looked at me. "That if she has feelings for somebody, then she should go for it. She shouldn't let her fears hold her back."

I met his gaze, my heart pounding. "That's good advice."

He looked away, nodding. "I thought so."


	24. The Safety Net

**Chapter Twenty-Four:**

**The Safety Net**

* * *

**Ginny Weasley**

* * *

I wrapped my arms around my legs, looking around the crowded common room. Near the fireplace, Dean and Seamus were playing a heated game of chess. A few feet away from them, Harry and Ron were sitting on the couch, throwing the snitch back and forth to each other. The little golden ball slipped out of Ron's hand and started zooming around the room. As it came closer to Pavarti, she ducked and it flew away, zooming over people's heads. The first years jumped up, trying to grab the golden ball. Dean and Seamus stopped playing, each of them lunging for the tiny ball, but it flew past them, toward me. Remembering my seeker instincts, I kept my eye on the snitch, waiting for the perfect timing. As it came closer, my hand flew out, and I caught the snitch.

"Nice," Hermione said, looking up from her book.

"Thanks," I replied, sending the snitch back towards Harry.

"Thank you!" Harry called out as he jumped up to catch the snitch.

"Your welcome!" I shouted back.

Hermione folded the corner of her book and set it aside. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.

"Talk about what?"

"What's bothering you."

I sighed, looking from Dean, who was losing at chess, to Harry, who was tossing the snitch back to Ron. "I have a problem," I told her.

"What is it?" she asked. I looked at Harry, who was laughing at something Ron said, his eyes lighting up in the way they did when he was happy. Hermione noticed my gaze on Harry, comprehension dawning on her face. "Ah," she said, "caught on, have you."

I looked at her. "It's not fair to Dean."

Hermione was watching Harry and Ron, her head resting against the window. "Are you going to tell Harry?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"Not until he gets his memory back," I told her, my gaze returning to Dean, who was scratching his chin, thinking of his next move. "But I don't know what to do about Dean. I don't want to hurt him..."

"I think it's too late for that," Hermione told me sorrowfully, turning her attention back to me. I felt her gently pat my back. "He knows, Ginny. He's just waiting for you to tell him."

I glanced back at Dean. When he saw me looking at him, he gave me a small smile. "I know," I said, giving him a sad smile.

* * *

"Hold still!" Hermione exclaimed, pushing me down. Summer Owens, who just so happened to be one of my closest friends and my roommate, giggled. Hermione glanced at her. "Do you see what I have to deal with here?" she said, exasperated, motioning to me.

About three hours ago, Summer and Hermione had dragged me upstairs to get dressed for Slughorn's End of Term Ball. For the first two hours, I had watched Hermione attempt to tame her wild hair with Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. It had actually worked very well, and she had pulled her now sleek hair back into an elegant knot. As pretty as her hair looked, I preferred her wild and bushy hair better. Either way, I knew Ron was going to lose his marbles when he saw her tonight.

I glared at her. "You're hurting me," I grumbled as she tugged and pulled on my hair.

"I'm trying to fix your hair! Merlin, it's like you've never done this before!" she exclaimed, exasperated.

"Hermione, I grew up with six older brothers. And we didn't exactly play dress up and throw tea parties in our spare time. Most of my childhood was spent at the top of the stairs throwing stinksap filled balloons at Ron with Fred and George."

"Lovely," Hermione said sarcastically.

Summer made a face. "That explains so much."

I laughed. "You know, Ron still has nightmares about it. It used to take Mum _hours _to get the smell off him."

Hermione and Summer exchanged looks.

"What?" I demanded.

Summer shrugged. "You just reminded me of Fred and George, that's all."

I beamed, flushing with pride. "I miss them. Hogwarts is so boring without them."

"Yes, because a school where you learn magic is just _so _dull," Summer said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"There!" Hermione exclaimed, backing away from me. She looked at me, studying her master piece. "Ginny," she said breathlessly, holding her hand over her heart like a proud mother, "you look so beautiful!"

I looked in the mirror, studying my appearance, which Hermione had spent the past thirty minutes on. It was nothing fancy; she had curled it loosely and applied a thin layer of make up, but it was better somehow. She had hidden all the small blemishes and imperfections on my face, tamed down all the fly away hairs, and accentuated all my best features. She had created a prettier version of me. A Ginny 2.0 if you will.

"I was going for a more natural look," she explained. "You already have such pretty features..."

Summer looked at me, waggling her eyebrows. "I can't wait to see Dean's face." She lowered her voice. "Or Harry's."

I threw a pillow at her. "Shut up."

Hermione grinned. "What do you think?"

"It looks amazing, Hermione. Thank you so much. You really outdid yourself." I paid her my best compliments as I slipped off my robes and slid into the simple black dress Mum had sent me. I'd been amazed she'd found such a nice dress from a secondhand shop. It didn't compare to Hermione's, whose parents had sent her money to buy the nicest gown she could find in Hogsmeade, but I still loved the dress I was wearing. I only wished a certain boy with startling green eyes and messy hair would like it as much.

"I wish I could go," Summer sighed gloomily as she watched Hermione tame down her frizzy hair. "Everybody tells me Slughorn's parties are _amazing._"

"I'll take you next time," I promised her, sitting in front of my mirror where I had taped up a picture of me and Dean in the corner.

"What about Dean?" she pointed out.

I stared at the picture of Dean and me. We had taken it months ago, before summer, before Harry lost his memory, before everything became so bloody complicated. Luna had taken it with the camera Hermione had confiscated from Colin Creevey. Dean had his arm around me and we were both laughing at something off in the distance. The very next day, Luna had made a copy of the picture, and I had taped it up on my mirror, not believing I was lucky enough to have gotten the attention of such an amazing bloke. Sighing, I looked away from the picture. "I don't think you'll have to worry about Dean," I muttered to Summer, but she was too busy helping Hermione with her hair to hear me. I turned my attention back to the picture, carefully taking it down.

* * *

I gently knocked on the door, wondering what on earth was taking Dean so long.

"Come in!" I recognized Harry's muffled voice through the door.

"Hey," I said, opening the door to find Ron and Harry bent over an old looking piece of parchment. "No way," I said, "is that the marauder's map?"

When he heard my voice, Harry looked up at me. His eyes widened slightly, but then he quickly looked back at the map. Ron tapped the parchment with his wand and all the dark lines on it disappeared. "What do you want?" he asked rudely.

"I'm looking for Dean. We were supposed to meet in the common room thirty minutes ago." I told them.

"He's in the bathroom," Ron informed me as he folded up the map and handed it to Harry. "Is Hermione ready yet?" he asked.

"She's waiting downstairs," I said.

Ron grinned, running his hands through his hair nervously. "I should erm...get going then. I'll see you lot at the party?"

"Yeah, see you there," Harry said.

"You look good, Ronnie," I said sincerely, realizing how odd it was to see Ron in the dress robes the twins had gotten him. Strangely, I had to admit, Ron looked handsome. He had even attempted to comb his hair; Hermione was always complaining about how messy Harry and Ron kept their hair. I knew there wasn't much Harry could do about his hair, but I found his hair strangely appealing in all of its messy glory. Ron, on the other hand, looked like a different person with his hair slicked back and his fancy new dress robes; and I knew, he would only ever attempt to look this good for Hermione.

Ron frowned, unsure of whether or not I was making fun of him. "Thanks, Gin," he said uncertainly.

"And you better compliment Hermione on how good she looks," I warned him as he traipsed downstairs. "We spent hours getting ready!"

Harry cleared his throat, fiddling with the tie on his robes. "Erm...Ginny, you look...you look very nice..." He glanced up at me. "...beautiful, actually."

I smiled, stepping closer to him. "Thanks. You need help with that?" I offered, noticing the struggle he was having with his tie.

He looked at me sheepishly. "I'm not very good at this...the whole dressing up thing..."

I grimaced. "Me neither..." I gestured to myself. "This is all Hermione's doing. I didn't even pick out this dress. My mum did." I tightened the tie slowly and my hand grazed over his chest. I froze there, my heart pounding.

"You're taking your time there," he teased.

I flushed, suddenly feeling very hot. "Sorry," I mumbled, quickly taking my hand away. "Erm...have you been working out?"

He turned a bright pink. "Not much...you know, Quidditch workouts and all..." I looked up at him, my light brown eyes locking with his dashing green ones. My heart skipped a beat as I realized how close we were standing. His soft pink lips were merely inches away from mine, and his breath smelled so good and minty...

"Ahem."

Harry and I jumped apart. Dean was standing in the doorway, staring at us. "Dean!" I exclaimed as Harry finished tightening his tie. "I-I was just looking for you."

Dean stared at Harry. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Well, I should really get going," Harry said as he finished tightening his tie. "I told Luna I'd meet her in five minutes...erm...Ill see you two at the party." He looked at me one more time before awkwardly walking past Dean.

Dean and I stood in silence, listening as Harry's footsteps faded. Each second that Dean stared at me, I felt another wight drop in my stomach.

"Dean..." I began softly but he shook his head.

"Just do it already, Gin," he said quietly.

I closed my eyes. "It's not like that." I gazed at him, fighting the tears threatening to come. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Yeah, well, I reckon it's too late for that."

"I'm so sorry," I said, my voice breaking.

He stared at me, his dark brown eyes locking with mine. "Did you two...did you ever...you know..."

I looked down at my feet. "Months ago...there was one kiss...but it never happened again! I swear!"

"Oh, well, isn't that just brilliant, Ginny. That makes me feel just _loads _better. You only cheated on me _once_." He said sarcastically.

I gulped. "I know you deserve better-"

"Damn right I do! You've made me look like an idiot for _months. _How long were you planning on keeping this up, Gin? Were you just going to lead me on until you got bored? Is that it? Was I just a game to you?"

"Of course not! I just...I didn't want to admit things had changed..."

"Why?"

My stomach was in complete knots as I looked up at Dean. "I was scared he wouldn't feel the same way."

Dean laughed humorlessly. "So, I was just your second choice. Your safety net. Well, blimey, isn't that just dandy. You know what really sucks, Gin? Is that despite all of this, I still can't manage to hate you, because any bloke who has his head on straight couldn't help but falling for you."

"Dean-"

"And that...that's what really sucks." He sighed, sitting on the nearest chair he could find. "How could you do this, Ginny?" he asked softly, looking up at me. "I love you..."

"What?"

"I love you...not that it matters...because you are in love with Harry, who just so happens to be one of my good mates..."

"You never told me-"

"Because I knew you wouldn't say it back," he muttered. He turned his head to look at me. "Would you?"

I opened and closed my mouth. "I really really want to..."

"That's not good enough."

"I know...and I'm really sorry."

"Just stop...don't apologize. It doesn't mean anything to me...in fact, I would prefer it if you just left..."

"But Dean-"

"Ginny. I really don't want to see you right now. Just go."

I stood there, staring at him in shock. When I realized he wasn't going to say anything else, I swallowed back my tears and ran out of the room. I traipsed down to the nearly empty common room, where there were a few people lounging around in their pajamas. When they saw me come down in my dress robes with my hair and make up all done, a few people shot me envious looks before going back to whatever it was that they were doing. I glanced up at the stairway that led to the girl's dormitory. I knew Summer was probably still in our room. I was considering just taking off my new dress, removing all the make up, and undoing my hair, and just staying in with Summer, when I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, what are you still doing here?"

"Harry," I said, seeing him crouched over the nearest table. He was examining his glasses, which had broken; the lens were completely shattered.

"Erm...reparo?" he said uncertainly, waving his wand over his glasses. I watched as the glasses quickly repaired themselves and Harry placed it back over his eyes proudly. "Better..." he muttered to himself before focusing on me. "What are you still doing here? I thought you and Dean would have left by now."

I glanced back at the girl's dormitories. "Erm...I don't think we'll be going to the party tonight."

He frowned. "Why not?" he asked puzzled.

I looked back at him, meeting his eyes. "I think...I think Dean and I may have just broken up..."


	25. Slughorn's Party

**Chapter Twenty-Five:**

**Slughorn's Party**

* * *

**Ginny Weasley**

* * *

Harry blinked. "Oh."

I sighed, glancing over at the stairs. "You know what, I'm really not in the mood to party. I think I'll just have a girl's night with Summer."

Harry tugged on his collar nervously. "Or...you know...you can come with me..."

"Go with you where?" I frowned, checking my watch. "I thought you were supposed to be meeting Luna."

"Well, yeah...I-I was just thinking maybe you could join us...I'm sure Luna wouldn't mind, and what good is it to sit in your room sulking after you got all dressed up? Me and Luna...we'll take your mind off Dean and the whole break up...we'll make sure you enjoy yourself tonight...that you have fun!"

I shook my head. "Oh, no...I don't want to intrude on your date-"

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Gin. It's not a _real _date."

"Still," I protested.

"Luna is coming with me as a favor...remember, after Romilda Vane kept hounding me that one week?" he reminded me.

I bit my lip. "Romilda _did_ put a love potion in your pumpkin juice...are you sure it's okay, though?"

He offered me his arm. "You look much too beautiful to go unnoticed. I want the entire school to see you."

I took his arm. "Okay...but you do realize the entire school won't be there."

He sighed. "It was just a compliment."

"A corny one."

"Fine, then you look like an ugly troll with spattergroit. Better?"

I grinned. "Much."

He rolled his eyes, opening the portrait hole. "Hey, Gin," he asked softly, turning to face me.

"Yeah?"

"I really am sorry...about Dean, that is," he mumbled before climbing out the hole.

I stared after him. "Thanks," I muttered numbly, climbing after him.

* * *

I wasn't sure what I was expecting Luna to wear, but it certainly wasn't what I saw when I turned the corner. Luna had wisely decided against wearing her butterbeer cork necklace, and thankfully, she had done away with the radish earrings. She had instead chosen a dark purple dress that really made her dark grey eyes pop, and she had left her long hair loose with curls.

"Luna!" I exclaimed. "You look brilliant!"

She beamed. "Thank you! And so do you." She said sincerely. "And Harry," she added, her protuberant eyes gazing intently at Harry. "I can see why Romilda gave you a love potion."

Harry laughed. "Thanks, Loon-I mean, Luna. Ginny's right...you look brilliant."

She nodded, absolutely glowing. "I'm very excited," she told us earnestly, "I've never been to one of Professor Slughorn's parties!"

"They're really something," I muttered.

Luna frowned at me. "Where's Dean?" she asked, craning her neck around me to try and find the tall black bloke that usually lagged behind me.

"We...well, we broke up," I told her bluntly. She stopped craning her neck around me and blinked.

"Right, and if you don't mind, I told Ginny she could be our third date." Harry said to Luna.

Luna nodded, a dreamy glaze drifting over her pale face. "Oh, yes! That'll be very fun, don't you think." Suddenly, her eyes suddenly focused on Harry and me, and she looked unusually serious. "_Oh, yes! _This'll be _very _fun."

I blinked, recognizing the mischevious twinkle in Luna's eye. It was the same twinkle I saw in the twins' eyes when they were up to something. "Luna..." I said slowly.

"Well, come on then!" she urged, pulling me and Harry along.

"What's she up to?" Harry whispered in my ear._  
_

I frowned. "No idea."

He shrugged. "Well, you're never bored around her, are you?"

I laughed. "Nope."

* * *

I gasped, smacking Harry's arm. "Oh my GODRIC!" I squealed, turning to face Harry, my eyes wide.

"_What_?" he demanded, rubbing his arm.

"_The Weird Sisters_," I chocked out, gesturing wildly to the band on the grand marble stage Professor Slughorn had conjured.

Harry shrugged. "Yeah, I guess they are a bit funny looking-"

"No, no! They're _called _the Weird Sisters," I told him impatiently.

"Why would anybody name their band that?"

"Does that really matter?"

"A bit, yeah."

"Harry, they are my favorite band of all time." I told him seriously.

He looked at the group of wizards singing on stage again. "I guess they are a bit catchy."

Luna, who had been swaying wildly, looked at us. "We should dance," she decided.

"Erm...I dunno..." Harry said awkwardly, tugging at his collar nervously. "I'm not much of a dancer, really..."

I raised my eyebrows. "How would you know? You can barely remember your own birthday."

He gave me a look. "Do you really want to see me embarrass myself?"

"Actually, yes, I do."

Luna looked between the two of us, a smile tugging on her lips. "Then it's settled! Let's dance!" she cheered, grabbing Harry's arm. I watched them go, but Luna grabbed my arm last minute and dragged me onto the dance floor.

"Luna!" I cried.

"If I'm dancing, so are you," Harry said threateningly.

I shrugged. "That's fine. I'm an _amazing _dancer. It's one of my many talents, you know."

Harry was about to retort, when he suddenly froze, staring at Luna. His mouth was hanging slightly open. I turned to see what he was staring at. Luna had stopped her wild swaying and was doing some odd tribal dance routine. When she saw us watching, she motioned for us to join along. Shrugging, I followed in her lead, clapping my hands together and bobbing my head back and forth as I shimmied down.

"What in Merlin's saggiest left butt cheek are you doing?" Ron was staring at us, looking dumbfounded. Hermione looked bemused as she stared at the two of us dancing.

Luna closed her eyes. "It's the dance of the Umgubular Slashkilter," she informed us.

"Okay," Ron said, looking as if he were fighting the urge to laugh, "and why exactly are you doing this?"

I struggled to hop on one foot as I held my arms over my head. "It's actually quite fun."

Hermione giggled. "People are watching!"

"You've got the attention of the Strange Sisters," Harry said, pointing to the band on stage.

"_Weird _Sisters," I corrected, rolling my eyes.

"Are you seriously gonna take up that tone with me when you look like that?" He said indignantly.

Luna opened her eyes. "Harry, come on! You don't want to offend the Umgubular Slashkilter, do you?"

"No, I guess I don't." Harry started hopping up and down beside me.

"Now, clap your hands together," she instructed him. Harry did as she told.

"Have all of you gone mental?" Ron demanded.

"I wanna do it too!" Hermione exclaimed, hopping up and down on one foot. I showed her how to bop her head.

Ron sighed, shaking his head. "This is mental," he muttered before joining alongside all of us.

I laughed, watching as all of my friends followed in Luna's lead as she shimmied down, waving her hands wildly over her head. The funniest part was the real concentration they had as they attempted to imitate Luna's movements. Suddenly the music stopped and I realized a crowd had gathered around us.

"I'm so sorry," Myron Wagtail, the lead singer of the Weird Sisters said through his microphone. "But can I have that lovely girl in the purple dress come up here please?"

"Luna, that's you!" Hermione whispered excitedly, pushing her forward.

"Oh, my, he's so handsome." I swooned as Myron helped Luna up onto the stage.

Harry frowned. "He looks like he just got out of prison."

"That's part of the charm."

"Well then if-"

"SHH! Shut up! He's _talking_," I whispered, standing on my tiptoes to see.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Myron asked Luna, handing her the mic.

"Luna. Luna Lovegood."

"Luna? Lovely name! Now, can I ask you what you and your friends were dancing to over there?"

Luna took the mic. "It's the dance of the Umgubular Slashkilter. You can read all about them in the _Quibbler."_

_"The Quibbler_?"

"Yes, my Daddy is the editor," Luna told him.

Myron laughed. "Of course he is. So, Luna Lovegoode, that dance of yours is really something. Would you mind showing it to us?"

Luna's eyes widened. "Oh, yes, of course!"

Before I knew it, everybody at the Ball was imitating Luna's dance. I watched in amazement as even the Minister of Magic copied Luna's dance.

"Want to get a drink?" Harry whispered in my ear, chuckling.

I nodded, laughing. "Aren't you glad you brought her?" I asked.

Harry grinned. "And here I was worried I'd have to here about wrackspurts all night."

"Mr. Potter! Ms. Weasley!" Slughorn beamed, waving at us as he and Flitwick shimmied down, their hands waving wildly over their heads.

I waved to him quickly before turning around and bursting into laughter with Harry. "Aren't you glad _you _came?" he asked.

I giggled. "I guess it does beat sitting in bed eating ice cream."

Harry smiled, waving over the waiter. "Two butterbeers," he said, plopping down in the nearest chair.

"Right away," the waiter said, his eyes lingering on Harry's scar.

"Harry! Ginny! My star students!" Slughorn's voice boomed from behind me.

"Hello, Professor," Harry greeted as he pulled up a chair.

"I can't believe you managed to get the Weird Sisters to come play!" I gasped to Slughorn.

"Oh, well Donaghan Tremlett- he's the bass player- he owed me a favor." Slughorn said, brushing it off. "I'm so glad you two could make it," he beamed. "Oh, and Ms. Weasley, you look absolutely stunning!" He winked at Harry. "You're a lucky man, Harry!"

I smiled. "Oh, he's very lucky. He's actually got two dates tonight."

Slughorn glanced at Luna, who was still up on stage with the band. He chuckled. "Luna Lovegood, eh? I've got to invite her to one of our little tea parties these days."

"Oh, definitely. Luna's really something." Harry told him earnestly before smirking at me.

"Well, then it's settled!" Slughorn boomed as the waiter brought us our two butterbeers. "Oh, a firewhisky, please, my good man!" He said to the waiter. "As for the two of you," he said seriously, "I'm very glad you came. I've got a handful of people who have been dying to meet you!" He leaned toward Harry. "I've slipped in a good word for you at the ministry...Minerva tells me you wish to become an Auror."

"Brilliant!" Harry exclaimed before frowning. "Hold on...what's an auror again?"

"Tonks, Kingsley...you know..." I told him.

Harry's eyes widened again. "Oh, yeah! Brilliant!"

"And as for you," Slughorn beamed, turning to face me. "I've told the Holyhead Harpies all about you! They're very excited to meet you." He lowered his voice. "Maybe we can even convince them to watch a game."

I nearly choked on my butterbeer. "You really think they'd come see a Hogwarts game?" I asked dubiously, my heart racing.

"If I put in a good word," he said, shrugging. "Ah, thank you!" he said as the waiter handed him his firewhiskey.

"Horace!" Somebody in expensive, silk roads called.

Slughorn stood up, taking his drink. "Do make the rounds later, won't you? There's so many people I'd like for you to meet."

"Of course," I promised him.

Once he was gone, Harry turned to me. "We won't actually make the rounds, will we?"

I shook my head. "Of course not."

"Although, I wouldn't mind meeting the Holyhead Harpies," Harry said as an afterthought.

"Oh, we're definitely meeting them."

"Let's give it up for Luna Lovegoode one more time!" Myron said as the crowd on the dancefloor cheered wildly. "Now Luna, you wouldn't mind if we use that on other shows do you?" Myron asked her.

Luna beamed. "Oh, the Umgubular Slashkilters will be ever so pleased!"

Myron chuckled. "Well, I'm glad."

"Myron, could I ask you a small favor," Luna said innocently. Harry and I exchanged looks.

"Of course! You want free tickets to our next show?" Myron said with a grin.

Luna smiled. "That'd be very nice, but actually," she stood on her tiptoes, looking around until she spotted me and Harry. "You see that girl over there with the red hair?"

"Oh, this'll be good," Harry murmured, a wide grin spreading across his face.

"Shut up," I said, my face burning as everybody turned to look at me.

"You see," Luna continued, "she's really your biggest fan. She's got posters of you and everything. Anyway, I would appreciate it if you played her favorite song so she could dance to it with Harry Potter. He's the one sitting beside her."

I laughed. "Shut up," Harry muttered as people looked at him.

"Harry Potter, eh?" Myron said, raising his eyebrows. He looked between the two of us. "Cute couple."

"Oh, they're not boyfriend and girlfriend," Luna told him, "but they really should be. I've been telling both of them for months."

Myron laughed. "Well, alright then. What song would you like us to play for them."

"Ginny's favorite is _This Is the Night_." Luna informed him.

"Alright, then. Ginny and Harry...this one's for you," Myrone said before motioning for the others to start playing.

I looked at Harry. "I can't believe she did that."

Harry looked at me. His face was so red that he'd give Ron a run for his money. "Well, she wasn't lying, was she," he sighed.

I looked at him, my eyes softening. "No, I guess she wasn't."

He shrugged, hopping off his chair. He offered me his hand. "Might as well give them something to talk about."

I grinned, taking his hand. "What the hell. Everybody'll talk anyway."

As Harry led me onto the dancefloor, the other guests erupted into loud cheers and applause. I even saw McGonagall and Dumbledore clapping. I searched for Luna, who was gracefully jumping off the marble stage. When she saw me looking, she smiled. The mischevious twinkle in her eye suddenly returning. Harry awkwardly placed his hands on my waist, but once he touched me, I leaned into him naturally. I put my arms around his neck, and he visibly relaxed.

"Nervous?" I asked him, feeling my own butterflies.

"Everybody's watching us," he said.

I nodded. "I'm going to kill Luna."

"I'll help."

I laughed. "About what she said-"

Harry shook his head. "I know."

I smiled, resting my head against him. I closed my eyes, listening to the lyrics of the song, and suddenly everybody watching me dance with Harry was forgotten. All I could think of was the feel of Harry's breath, hot against my skin.

"You wanna hear the good news?" he whispered in my ear.

"What's that?"

"Everybody's pairing off now. We're not the center of attention anymore. We can stop dancing if we want..."

I tightened my grip around him. "I don't want to."

"Good," he said, "because I don't want to either."

I smiled, thinking how perfectly our bodies fit together, and how good Harry smelled. He looked down at me and both our eyes met. Tiny shivers went down my back as his startling green pierced through me; I knew he could see exactly how I felt about him. I closed the tiny gap between the two of us so that every part of our bodies were touching. My eyes flickered to his lips, which looked soft and pink. I remembered how they felt against my lips, I remembered how good he tasted, how his hands held me. I noticed his eyes traveling down to my lips, and I wondered why he wasn't making any moves. It was the perfect opportunity for him to kiss me or tell me how he felt. Unless he didn't feel the same way anymore! I pulled away from him quickly, suddenly panicking. Despite everything, despite the fact that I was with Dean and he was with Rosaline, I always knew, deep down, Harry still cared about me. But now, as he held me in his arms, I noticed something distant in his eyes. Almost like he wasn't really there or didn't want to be there.

"What?" he frowned.

I looked at him. "Why haven't you tried anything yet?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...I've broken up with Dean...we're slow dancing to my favorite song...it's the perfect time..."

"Dean broke up with _you_," he corrected. "You couldn't even manage to break up with him on your own. And I've already told you how I felt...loads of times actually. I'm not going to make anymore moves. You know how I feel, so now it's your turn. It's all on you now."

"You're serious," I said, dumbstruck.

He sighed. "Gin, you've always known exactly how I feel, but you've never had the courage to tell me how _you _feel. If suddenly you decide-"

I interrupted him, pulling him down by the collar, and smashing my lips against his. Harry's shock wore off quickly, and he lifted me up slightly, his arms wrapping around me tightly. I tightened my hold against him too, my hands traveling up to his hair. I ran my fingers through his soft, messy hair that only he could pull off. I moaned slightly. I'd forgotten how good of a kisser Harry was.

After what felt like eons, I pulled away from him to catch my breath. I hadn't even realized the music had picked up and people had returned to dancing wildly. Harry grinned down at me, resting his forehead against mine. "You've gotten better at that," he teased.

"What?"

"I mean it's not that you were necessarily bad-"

"Shut up," I said, smacking him.

"Ow. Would you quit hitting me?"

I was about to laugh when I noticed Dean. He was standing a few feet behind Harry, staring at me. He was still in the dress robes we had picked out together in Hogsmeade weeks earlier.

"Dean," I said. Harry turned around, frowning slightly. When he saw Dean, he froze, looking at him sorrowfully. Dean glanced quickly between me and Harry before turning around and walking away. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I have to go," I apologized, chasing after Dean, who had disappeared in the crowds.

* * *

"Dean! Dean!" I shouted, following him down the empty corridor. "Dean, come on! Slow down!"

Once he reached the end of the corridor, he stopped and waited for me. "You couldn't even wait a bloody hour," he snarled once I caught up with him.

"I didn't know you were coming..."

"So that makes it okay?!"

"Dean, we broke up!" I cried.

He laughed humorlessly. "I cam here to apologize...ditching you right before the big party. I thought how humiliating it must have been for you to come here dateless. I guess joke's on me right? I show up to find you and Harry snogging."

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

I looked down at my feet before meeting Dean's eyes. "I'm in love him."

Dean studied my face. "Then why are you here?"

"I don't know..."

Dean sighed. "Okay...goodnight, Ginny." He gazed at me for a split second. "I can't blame Harry for kissing you tonight...you look amazing."

I smiled. "So do you."

He nodded. "I'll see you around, Gin." With one last look at me, Dean turned around and walked away. I watched him until he turned the corner, disappearing from sight.


	26. Shattered Glass

**Chapter Twenty-Six:**

**Shattered Glass**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I tugged at my collar, loosening the tie Ginny had done hours earlier. After she had chased after Dean, I tried to enjoy myself at Slughorn's party, but I just kept thinking about what she was doing and where she was. Finally, Luna ordered me to go find her, but I was scared she and Dean had made up. I looked around the empty dormitory. Dean's bed was completely empty, along with everybody else's. I knew Neville and Seamus were downstairs playing chess and Ron was still at the party, but I had no idea where Dean was. A part of me wondered whether he was still with Ginny.

Sighing, I pulled away the curtains around my bed. I thought it was strange because I couldn't remember closing them.

"Ginny?" I frowned, finding her asleep on my bed, her fiery red hair splayed around her face. I smoothed her hair out. "Gin," I whispered.

She slowly opened her eyes, focusing on me. When she realized who I was, her face split into a small smile. "Hi," she mumbled, sitting up.

"What are you doing here?" I wondered.

She rolled her eyes. "What do you think? I'm waiting for you."

I grinned. "Aren't you sweet."

She smiled, standing up. "Where have you been?" she asked.

"Partying. You know how the girls go mental over me."

She laughed. "And by girls do you mean nutters like Romilda Vane?"

"She's one of many."

"One of many? She's the _only_ one."

I raised my eyebrows. "Well, that's not entirely true. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"I assume you're here for a reason."

Ginny grinned, stepping closer to me so that our faces were merely inches away from each other. "I love you too," she whispered before bringing my face closer to hers. I closed my eyes as she brushed her lips against mine.

"Took you long enough," I mumbled, grinning.

She smacked me. "Harry!"

I laughed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Kidding. I love you too." I said, my heart soaring.

Ginny grinned, pulling my tie closer to her until my lips met hers. I rested my hands gently around her waist, kissing her slowly, but she deepened the kiss. The feel of her lips against mine and the feeling as she ran her fingers through my hair made my mind go all hazy so that I forgot everything else in the world except her. It was as if the rest of the world didn't matter. It didn't matter that I'd lost my memory. It didn't matter that the darkest wizard of all time was trying to murder me. Nothing mattered except Ginny and the feel of her lips against mine.

* * *

I rested my head on Ginny's lap. She looked down at me smiling as she played with my hair. I heard the soft jingle of the charm bracelet I had given her for Christmas, and I closed my eyes. We were sitting in the living room of the Burrow. The fire was cackling in the background, and the other Weasleys were still in the kitchen.

"You know," I said suddenly, opening my eyes, "I reckon this is the first time we've been alone since we got here."

She peered down at me, grinning. "We can go up to my room. I doubt anybody would notice."

"Ginny," Bill shouted, marching into the living room.

I sighed. "So close."

"What?" Ginny snapped, annoyed.

"The Weird Sisters have a new song...you'll never believe what it's called," Ron announced, following Bill and Fleur into the living room.

"What?"

Fleur looked at us dramatically. "It iz called Ze Umgubular Slashkilter!"

Ginny nearly choked. "No way!"

"I wonder if Luna knows about this," I mused.

Ginny lifted my head off her lap. "I need to go write to her!"

I settled comfortably on the couch as Ginny scurried upstairs.

"So, 'Arry," Fleur said in a business-like voice as she made room for herself beside me on the couch. "You and Ginny...you like her very much, no?"

I raised my eyebrows. "Yeah, she's alright I guess. Why?"

"Vell, I vould love to 'ave you in ze wedding, but if you and Ginny break up by zen...who vill valk Ginny down ze aisle?"

"We won't break up," I assured her.

"How can you be so sure?" Bill asked seriously. I looked between him and Ron, and I sat up. I guess this was the big brother talk. I was just surprised Fred and George weren't here.

"How can you be so sure that your marriage won't last?" I retorted, narrowing my eyes at Bill and Fleur.

Fleur pursed her lips. "Ve love each uzzer."

"And I love Ginny," I told them plain and simple.

Bill looked at me suspiciously but Fleur's face stretched into an overjoyed grin. "'Ow lovely!"

Ron and Bill exchanged looks, still looking uncomfortable. I sighed. "Look, I would never dream of hurting Ginny. I'm so in love with her that it used to physically hurt when I saw her with Dean. I will never do anything hurt her or lose her. Never. It'd be more likely for her to hurt me."

Fleur gave me a watery smile. "Zat vas beautiful, 'Arry."

Bill looked content, but Ron's face was still stony. "Well," he finally said, "I'd rather you than that Dean bloke."

"That Dean bloke? Ron, you and Dean have been friends for years."

Ginny ran back inside, jumping on top of me. "Guess what?" she said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?"

"The Umgubular Slashkilter...it has a dance to it too."

Ron and I burst into laughter. "Let me guess. It was inspired by Luna?" Ron chortled.

She giggled. "Well, there's only one way to find out. We have to go see them live!"

"Gin, we did see them live. Just a few weeks ago actually. Remember Slughorn's party?" I reminded her.

"Oh, come on! Please!" she begged, leaning in to give me a long kiss.

I glanced nervously at the others, but they were engaged in their own conversations. "I'll buy us tickets tomorrow morning," I promised.

"No need. We're going this summer. Myron sent Luna loads of tickets with," she paused for dramatic effect, "backstage passes!"

"You know, you could probably just ask Slughorn to introduce you," I pointed out.

"Why aren't you excited?" she demanded, smacking my arm.

I winced. "Would you quit hitting me like that."

She rolled her eyes. "It's a love tap."

"How romantic."

She smiled, leaning in to kiss me, but I pulled away quickly. "Your brothers, Gin," I reminded her.

"So?"

"So, there are six of them and only one of me."

She bit her lip. "Well, I guess it would be a bit of morose if my brothers killed you."

"I'll meet you in your room later? After Ron falls asleep?" I offered.

She grinned, jumping off of me. "It's a date."

I watched her leave, her long red hair swishing behind her. I was so mesmerized by watching Ginny that I barely even noticed Fleur staring at me dreamily.

"What?" I asked her warily.

"Tell me everyzing!" she demanded, scooting next to me eagerly.

"About what?"

"You and Ginny, of course!"

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Not much to tell. We've only been dating two weeks."

She listened closely. "And?" she pressed.

"And I'm sure Ginny would love to tell you the rest. Girl talk and all." I said, standing up abruptly.

Her eyes lit up. "Girl talk! Ooh! Ginny and I can bond and be just like me and Gabrielle."

"Gabrielle?" I asked.

"My seester! 'Arry, how could you not remember?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't take it personally. I couldn't even remember my name a few months ago."

She smiled. "Vell, she absolutely adores you. She is looking forward very much to seeing you."

"Great," I said, "can't wait to meet her...again."

* * *

I rolled over, facing Ginny. Her face was only a few inches away from mine. I watched her sleep, not believing that after all this time, we were finally together.

"You know," she said, her eyes still closed, "it's creepy to watch people while they sleep."

I smiled, reaching over to stroke her cheeks. Her mouth twitched slightly into a smile. I looked down at her arm, noticing she was still wearing the silver charm bracelet I had given her. I reached over, looking at the charms she had already gotten. I had told Hermione and Luna what I was planning on giving Ginny for Christmas, and much to my surprise, both girls decided to give Ginny charms to add to her bracelet. Hermione had given her a lion charm to represent Gryffindor and Luna had given her a horse charm to represent her patronus. Even to my surprise, Fleur had surprised Ginny with a charm to add to her bracelet. Even Ginny had to admit that the "W" charm Fleur had gifted her was thoughtful.

Ginny moved her arm away, intertwining her fingers with mine. I grinned at her as she slowly opened her eyes. "Can't you let a girl sleep?" she sighed.

"Good morning to you too," I replied.

"As your girlfriend, am I still allowed to kick your arse?" she muttered.

"Girlfriend?"

She paused. "Well, yeah...isn't that what I am?" Her eyes widened slightly, panicking.

I shrugged. "Yeah...I just never heard you say it before." I removed my hand away from hers, slowly caressing up her arm. "I like it."

She smiled. "It does have a ring to it."

I groaned, seeing the time on my watch. "It's nearly eight...I should be getting back."

She pulled me closer, burying her head in my chest. "I don't want you to leave," she said, her voice muffled.

I kissed the top of her head. "I have to before Ron wakes up and realizes I'm not there."

She looked up at me. "How did you sneak away last night anyway?"

"Ron's a heavy sleeper. Besides, I don't reckon he could hear anything with his snoring." I sighed, getting up. She frowned, pulling me back down. "Gin, I have to go."

She winced. "But once you go, I won't get to see you at all today. Fleur's taking me on a Girl's Day. I don't know what's gotten into her lately."

I burst into laughter. "That might be my fault."

She glared at me. "What?"

"I may have indirectly suggested she take you out to talk."

Ginny smacked me. "Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't want to talk to her!"

"So you dragged me into this?" She demanded. "What does she want to talk about anyway?"

"Me and You."

"Our relationship?" Ginny spluttered. "We haven't even been going out a full month!"

"Yet we spent the night together," I pointed out.

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, cuddling."

"Still if anyone catches us, it would look suspicious." I sat up. "And that's exactly why I need to get back to my own bed before anybody wakes up." I leaned down, kissing her forehead gently before jumping out of bed.

"Wait!" she protested. I glanced back at her to find her sitting on her knees. "One more kiss," she suggested. I grinned, going back and pressing my lips against hers.

"Okay, I really have to go now," I told her, giving her one more peck. I started to leave, but she stopped me again. "What now?" I sighed.

"Your forgot your shirt," she said innocently.

I stared at her. "You're wearing it," I pointed out. She grinned, slowly slipping off the oversized T-shirt. I stared at her blinking, my eyes glued to her bare skin. Finally, I sighed, meeting her eyes. "Are you really that desperate?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yep."

I shrugged. "Works for me," I said, before colliding into her.

My mind went all hazy again, like all my thoughts were blocked except _Ginny._

I pushed her down against the bed, my lips kissing her with such intensity that she moaned slightly. I stopped for a second, my lips trickling down her neck, in between her bare breasts. She gasped slightly and we smashed our lips together again, and it was the best feeling in the world.

She wound her fingers through my hair, then to the back of my neck...my shoulders...my back. I pulled away for a moment to protest that her brothers were all in the next room, but she just pulled my lips back to hers. Her hands quickly moved under my shirt, and we stop kissing as I took a moment to throw my shirt across the room. I leaned back down, pressing my lips to hers, and she rolled me over so that she was sitting on top of me. I gasped, staring at her bare body. She stared back down at me, emotion and longing on her face. And then we were kissing again with such intensity you would think there was no tomorrow.

"Ginny, dear, wake up!" Mrs. Weasley's cheery voice chirped through the door. We froze as she attempted to open the locked door. "Ginny, why is your door locked?"

"Changing, Mum!" Ginny shouted back, her eyes wide.

"Oh, you're already awake! Good. Fleur is waiting for you downstairs."

We listened until Mrs. Weasley's footsteps completely faded away. Sighing, Ginny climbed off of me. I watched as she dug through her drawers, looking for clothing. Finally, I got up too, throwing my T-shirt back on. I stopped, watching as Ginny quickly clasped her bra back on.

"Shame. I liked it better off," I told her.

She looked up at me, grinning. "Me too," she admitted, motioning to my T-shirt.

I sat down, waiting for her to finish getting dressed. I watched as she pulled on a pair of jeans, the first clean shirt she could find, and she finished off by pulling her hair into a sloppy pony tail. Still, I mused, in all her messy glory, she was still the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen.

"Ready to go?" I asked.

"Nope."

I grinned, unlocking the door and opening it only to find Ron standing their, his hand raised into fist like he was about to knock. "What are you doing here?" he demanded, seeing me.

"Ron, go away," Ginny snapped as she decided between her brown boots and her black boots.

"You weren't there when I woke up," Ron accused me.

I shrugged. "I came to say goodbye to Ginny before she and Fleur left."

Ginny smiled, finally deciding on her brown boots. She glanced at me and Ron as she slid them on. "Ron, is there a reason as to why you're here?"

Ron glared at her. "I came to see if Harry was here."

"And he is," she said, grabbing her jacket. "So, now you can leave." She walked up to us, giving me a quick kiss. "I'll see you later, okay?"

I watched her traipse downstairs until Ron smacked my arm. "Ow! What is it with you Weasleys always hitting me?" I demanded.

"Come on," Ron said, "breakfast is ready."

I nodded, closing Ginny's door behind me.

* * *

New Year's Eve was a rather quiet affair. Everybody was sad that we would be going back to Hogwarts the next day. Mrs. Weasley was in a foul mood because she realized that after tomorrow she would once again be stuck alone in the house with Fleur. Ginny was nervous about having to go back to Hogawrts because it meant she would have to focus on her OWLs. Remus and Tonks were acting strange, and they avoided being alone, which was really strange because Mrs. Weasley kept finding activities that only the two of them could do together.

It seemed as if the only person eager about returning to Hogwarts was Ron, and that was only because he missed Hermione so much.

"She went skiing with her parents," he informed me the night before New Year's Eve. "She missed out last year because well Dad was at St. Mungo's, but her parents were really looking forward to taking her this year." He shrugged. "Only a few more days, right?"

I too strangely missed Hermione. I missed her constant nagging to do homework and her never ending lectures on the benefits of wand maintenance. Plus, I wanted to thank her in person for my broom polishing kit. She had gotten it for me for Christmas.

The morning of New Year's Eve, Mrs. Weasley woke us all up early to a gourmet breakfast she had prepared.

"This food looks brilliant, Mrs. Weasley," I told her as I piled my plate with eggs and sausages.

"Have some porridge too," she advised, handing me a bowl of porridge.

"Thanks," I said, my mouth full.

Ginny looked at me from across the table. "Charming," she said.

"Mum, we have a party tonight," George said as Mrs. Weasley pushed him and Fred into the kitchen.

"Yeah," Fred said, plopping himself onto the counter, "and Angelina said she might stop by."

"New Years is a family affair!" Mrs. Weasley argued.

"No," George said, "Christmas is a family affair."

"New Years is for firewhiskey and friends," Fred said.

Mrs. Weasley glared at them. "Dinner starts at seven thirty. Are we understood?"

"Mum-"

"_Are we understood?"_

The twins looked down. "We're understood," they agreed together.

"Wonderful!" She beamed, exiting the kitchen.

"Tough luck," Ginny told her brothers.

"Thanks, Little Sis," Fred sighed dejectedly.

"So, who's coming tonight anyway?" George asked.

"The usual," Ron replied, "Kingsley, Remus, Tonks...I think Mad-Eye might stop by."

As it turned out, Mad-Eye did stop by. All of us gathered in the kitchen as we counted down until midnight. Fred and George had bargained with Mrs. Weasley, and she allowed them to bring dates. The two of them were in an especially good mood and they spent most of the night outside, setting off fireworks all through the night. When midnight arrived, everybody cheered, blowing on kazoos and clapping. I pulled Ginny aside, kissing her passionately (well, as I passionately as I could with her entire family watching).

"Happy New Year!" I whispered in her ear before joining in on all the cheering.

I noticed Remus standing in the doorway, smiling sadly at the celebration. After a moment, he sighed and turned around, heading toward the living room. Frowning, I followed him out. Remus had been acting especially strange lately. I knew he and Tonks must have had some sort of argument, but I really wasn't sure what it was about. Ginny was convinced that the two were in love, but I wasn't buying it.

"Nice party, isn't it," Remus said, sitting on the nearest armchair.

I sat down across from him. "Yeah, I guess." I glanced back to the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was now serving everybody cake.

"You and Ginny," Remus began awkwardly, "you two...you make a good couple."

I glanced back at the kitchen. Ginny was talking to Tonks, laughing at something she was saying. "Yeah, she's brilliant."

"The way you look at her...it reminds me of James and Lily."

I looked at him. "My parents."

He nodded. "I know people tell you this all the time, but you are so like your father, Harry. He too never gave up on Lil."

"What were they like?" I asked.

He sat back. "Well, James was always getting into trouble...kind of like you. Now, as prefect, I tried to stop him as much as I could, but nobody could talk James out of something once he set his mind to it. He was so damn stubborn. It drove me mad." Remus leaned back against his chair, a nostalgic gleam in his eye. "Lily, on the other hand, was absolutely brilliant. Aced every single class, worked her hardest at everything she did. I think that's what bothered her most about James. He hardly ever tried, yet he was top of nearly every class and headboy." He chuckled to himself. "Merlin, she nearly killed him so many times."

"But she still loved him?" I asked.

Remus looked at me, his eyes twinkling. "More than anything. Except you, of course. Oh, your parents loved you so much, Harry."

I nodded, sitting back in my chair. "I don't remember them. At all."

He smiled. "They died when you were so young, Harry."

I looked at him. "It's not fair."

He sighed, giving me a sad smile. "No, it's not."

* * *

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said as I appeared in her fireplace. She glanced up from the papers she was grading. "And the others?" she asked as I stepped out.

"Right here!" Ron announced as he appeared in the fireplace. The blue flames that had engulfed him died down and he stepped out.

"I expect you had a nice break?" McGonagall said, stacking the papers on her desk as Ginny appeared in flames. After she made sure we were all safe and warning me not to get into any trouble, McGonagall sent us on our way. The hallways were still empty with only the occasional student shuffling by. I knew the Hogwarts Express wouldn't arrive until later that night, but it was still eery to see Hogwarts so deserted.

Once Ginny went up to her dormitory, Ron and I climbed upstairs. "So," Ron said as we trudged up the steps, "you and Ginny..."

I nodded. "Yep."

He stopped in front of our door, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Erm...I just...I wanted to tell you that I'm happy for you. Ginny...she's lucky to have you..."

I stared at him. "Thanks, Ron."

"But that doesn't mean I won't keep my eye on you," he warned, pointing his finger at me.

I smiled. "I know."

"Good," he grumbled, pushing open the door. "Merlin, it's so _clean_." He looked around the room approvingly. "We should really stop by the kitchens later...you know, and thank the house elves..."

I laughed, tossing my trunk beside my bed. "You sound like Hermione."

Ron frowned. "I do, don't I? Anyway, I reckon I'm going down to Hagrid's for a bit...you wanna come?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I think I'll take a nap before dinner and everybody arrives...I didn't sleep well last night..."

He looked at me concernedly. "Harry, mate, are you sure everything's okay? You've been acting a bit strange since last night..."

I shrugged. "Like I said- I'm exhausted. I just need some sleep."

Ron finally left, still looking slightly worried. I collapsed into bed, but I found that I couldn't fall asleep. Ever since I'd had that conversation with Lupin, something was nagging at me. Like I was forgetting something important. And then it hit me that I probably was. I had lost my bloody memory for Godric's sake. There was probably loads of stuff I didn't know, but it was as if something was trying to come back to me. Something related to my parents and Lupin. Something big.

I felt warm arms wrap around me. I rolled over to find myself face to face with Ginny.

"Ron was worried about you," she said.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." She caressed my cheek, her eyes wide with worry. "It's okay," she said softly. "You don't have to tell me."

I sighed. "It's stupid."

"What is?"

"I-I-" I stared into her curious, light brown eyes. "I can't remember my parents."

I watched as her eyes softened and filled with understanding. "Oh..." She frowned. "Harry, where is this suddenly coming from?"

I shrugged. "I don't know...I guess with Christmas and seeing all your family. And that one day when your mum told the twins that the holidays were family time...it just really got me thinking. I guess, seeing you with your parents and all your brothers...and Hermione's parents whisked her away so they could take her skiing. I guess I just wish I had my own parents to do that with...my own family..."

Ginny frowned. "But Harry...we _are _your family. Ron's like your brother and Mum and Dad see you as a son already. Even Tonks, Lupin, Mad-Eye...all of them...we're all like family..."

I shook my head. "It's not the same, Ginny. Just think of your mum, okay? Think if one day you didn't know her, you couldn't remember a single thing about her, you had never had her cooking or gotten a hug from her. Just think about that. Because that's all I think about. Did my parents ever hug me like Mrs. Weasley hugs me? Did my mum ever cook me dinner? Did my dad ever play quidditch with me in the backyard? Did they ever coddle over me or yell at me? Did they take humiliating pictures of me and the send Christmas cards out with an embarrassing photo of me on it? And then, then I start thinking if they were still alive, would they have? Would they have taken me skiing like Hermione's parents? Would they have invited my friends home with me? Would they have thrown me birthday parties? Would they have yelled at me because of my grades or for getting into trouble? Would they? I don't know, Gin. _I have no idea._"

In between my long speech, Ginny had somehow cuddled into me, entangling our bodies together. "I'm sure they would have," she said, her voice muffled.

"It's not fair," I complained.

Her face, which was buried in my chest, looked up at me. "You're right. It's not."

"I guess I just wish I knew more about them, that's all."

"Well, I'm sure loads of people would be willing to tell you some stories. Hagrid, Dumbledore, Remus..."

I sighed, wrapping my arms around her. "Still, it's not the same."

"I know, but that's all you can do right now."

I smiled, playing with her hair until I felt my eyes grow heavier.

I had a strange dream. One where I was on the back of a flying horse/eagle. I was laughing, the rush of the wind whipping past me as the eagle/horse soared over the lake. There was a man sitting behind me on the mysterious creature. He too was laughing, his head thrown back and his eyes closed. He looked free and relaxed, which was ironic considering the dirty old prison outfit he was wearing. I grinned at this man, and I realized that despite the frail body and gaunt eyes, this man was actually quite handsome. Or at least, you could tell he used to be very handsome. A little shampoo in his knotted hair, a fresh pair of laundered clothing, and maybe a bit of food would do this man some good. I studied his laughing face, wondering who he was. He looked so familiar. Like I'd seen his face a million times but I couldn't quite put a name to him.

"Well, I don't want to wake him," somebody mumbled. I recognized the soft voice as Hermione's.

"He's been asleep for hours, though," Ron complained.

"But he looks like Sleeping Beauty!" Hermione gushed.

"Sleeping what?" Ginny said from somewhere far away.

"Sleeping Beauty," Hermione explained, "the princess!"

"Right! I have no idea what you're talking about," Ginny said.

I opened my eyes slightly to find Hermione standing over me, peering anxiously down at me. Ron was sprawled on his own bed, flipping through a Quidditch magazine and Ginny was curled up in an armchair near the door.

"You're awake!" Hermione squealed, throwing her arms around me.

"Hermione," I said weakly, hugging her. "You're back."

"I arrived about an hour ago," she told me, perching down at the foot of my bed.

I coughed. "I've been asleep that long?"

Ginny nodded from across the room. "Did you know you drool when you sleep?"

"Do not."

"Do to!"

"You're full of it."

Ginny sighed, shaking her head. "This is what I get for dating a boy. A drooling, sleepy beauty."

"Sleeping Beauty," Hermione corrected.

"I'm not a boy. I'm a man." I told her.

"You keep telling yourself that, Potter."

"Remind me again, Weasley, why I'm dating you?"

She shrugged. "Must be my winning personality."

"Must be."

Ron checked his watch. "Dinner should be ready! Let's go!"

I yawned. "I'm not really hungry. I reckon I'll unpack or something."

Hermione looked at me anxiously. "You sure?"

"Positive. I'll come down and have some pudding later."

"Okay, then." Ron agreed. "See you in a bit."

Hermione followed him out, still glancing back at me anxiously.

"You sure you're okay?" Ginny asked me.

I walked over to her, leaning down over her chair. "I'm fine," I promised. "See? Happy Harry."

She looked at me dubiously. "Okay, but find me if you need anything."

"I will," I promised, kissing her forehead. After a few moments in which she stared at me apprehensively, she finally left, following Ron and Hermione down to the Great Hall. I turned back around, looking around the room. It seemed as if all the other blokes had arrived and unpacked their things already. Dean's trunk was sitting on top of his bed, half empty. Seamus' belonging were already thrown around the room. Neville had carefully set his creepy plant on his nightstand. Even Ron had begun unpacking, but I had a suspicion that had mostly to do with Hermione. I trudged over to my bags, waving my wand and sending most of my belongings into the appropriate drawer. However, my magic was still a bit off, and I accidentally hurled my trunk across the room into a wall. Everything left in there fell out, including several pieces of shattered glass. Frowning, I walked over to the mess I had made on the floor. I didn't remember packing anything made of glass. As I bent over the broken glass, I realized they were bits and pieces of a mirror.

I picked up the largest shard of glass from the wreckage, and stared down at my reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, my dream and everything else all made sense.


	27. The Attack

**Chapter Twenty-Seven:**

**The Attack**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

I sank down to my knees, replaying the glazed over expression on Sirius' face before he disappeared into the veil; replaying the cackle on Bellatrix's lips as she ran through the Department of Mysteries, shouting "I killed Sirius Black!"

I remembered the dog with yellow eyes peering at me through the bushes before the Knight Bus appeared to retrieve me...the haunted look on Sirius' face when he saw Peter for the first time after thirteen years in prison...the gleam of pride in his eye when he spoke of his memories with James and Remus...the laughter on his lips when the twins' pranked Mrs. Weasley...the excitement in his voice when he sang Christmas carols last year as he hung up wreaths and mistletoes throughout Grimmauld Place...

Just as suddenly as the memories of Sirius came, more and more flashed through my head; memories racing through my mind like a flickering film so vivid it blinded me to my surroundings...

Dudley was riding a brand new red bike, racing up and down the street, jeering at me as I sat on the sidewalk watching him, my heart ripping with envy...Ripper the evil bulldog was chasing me up a tree as the Dursleys stood in the lawn laughing...the tiny goblin opened up my vault, revealing the piles of little golden coins my parents had left me...I was charging full speed at a brick barrier, my heart racing and my eyes squeezed tightly shut...Ginny was lying in the middle of the Chamber of Secrets, and Tom Riddle was standing over her frail, limp body...A hundred dementors were closing in on me beside the dark lake...Cedric's lifeless body collapsed beside me in the old graveyard...Cho was drawing closer to me under the mistletoe...Remus held me back as Sirius disappeared behind the veil with the whispered voices...

"NO!" I shouted. I felt a sharp pain in my knees and realized I had fallen to the floor. For months I had been left in the dark, ignorant about my past, ignorant about who I was. And everybody had allowed it. Everybody had watched as I made a fool of myself, forgetting about my friends, my family...forgetting _Sirius_...

For months I was frustrated with my lack of knowledge, but now...now, I was furious. I was furious with Ron and Hermione. I was furious with Ginny. With Remus. With Dumbledore. But mostly...mostly, I was furious with Bellatrix Lestrange.

And it felt good.

* * *

**Ron Weasley**

* * *

I ducked, pulling Hermione behind an angel statue.

"Where's Harry?" She shouted over all the yelling and explosions.

"I don't know!" I panicked, peering over the angel wings. "Ginny!" I yelled as she blocked a curse and dove to the floor. To my relief, Tonks came to her defense.

Hermione looked anguished. "What if they've got him?"

"I'll go find him," I promised her, my heart pounding. We'd already lost Harry once. There was no way we were going to let him get taken away again. "On a count of three," I told her. "One...two...THREE!"

We darted in separate directions. Hermione went over to assist Kingsley, who was battling three merciless death eaters at once. I ducked and dashed around several people, sending a curse or hex in any direction I could.

"Stupefy!" I shouted, knocking out a hairy death eater that was about to attack Remus from behind.

"Thanks!" Remus managed to say before finishing off a rather scary looking witch. He rushed to McGonagall's aid.

I darted past all the flashing lights and screaming, racing to the top of the stairs. I looked back down, searching for dark messy hair and bright green eyes. Instead, I found Bellatrix battling Ginny and Tonks at the same time. I froze, fearing for Ginny.

"RON! GO!" I heard Hermione scream from somewhere bellow. I turned and raced to the common room.

"Is Harry-" I began to ask the Fat Lady.

"He hasn't left yet!" she told me before swinging open without even asking me for the password. The common room was completely empty with most students being locked inside the Great Hall with Filch for protection. Hermione, Ginny, and I were on our way to dinner when we saw Draco run inside with several death eaters. The teachers came sprinting out, locking the doors to the Great Hall behind him. The battle unfolded before our very eyes, and we rushed down to help. My biggest fear was that Harry would later come down like he promised; but instead of a great feast, he would find himself in the middle of a huge battle. Harry with his memory would have been a huge asset in this fight, but a memory-less Harry would be a goner.

"NO!" I heard Harry shout upstairs. Panicking, I sprinted upstairs. I banged open the door to find Harry in the middle of the room. He was on his knees, holding a broken piece of glass.

"Harry! Are you okay!" I panted, bending down and clutching my knees. Merlin, I really needed to get into shape. Harry looked up at me, and I shrank back a little at the fury in his eyes. "Harry, what's wrong?" I asked slowly.

"She killed him."

I frowned. "What? Look, Harry, death eaters broke in and Dumbledore's not here...Everybody's down there fighting and-"

"Death eaters?" He asked, perking up.

"Yeah...remember them? Those creepy cloaked blokes?"

"Bellatrix?"

"Yeah, she's there too, but listen, mate-"

Harry suddenly stood up, grabbing his wand. "I'm gonna kill her," he told me, rushing toward the door.

I stepped in front of him, holding him back. "Harry, what are you talking about?"

"What's the matter? You don't remember our old pal Snuffles, Ron?" He snarled.

I froze. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"You should have told me," he said angrily.

My eyes widened, and my heart felt as if it would pound out of my chest. "You remember?"

"Get out of my way, Ron," he said, gritting his teeth. "I don't want to hurt you."

"No, mate, you have to stay here. Okay, just take a deep breath-" Harry pushed me aside with a surprising amount a strength for such a skinny bloke. I slammed into the wall, and he charged down the stairs.

I rubbed my head, where I could feel a bump growing. "Not cool, mate," I shouted after him. "Not cool!" I jumped up, following him as he traipsed downstairs and out the common room. "Harry, just stop for a minute! Think about this!" I yelled after him. Finally, I caught up to him at the end of the corridor, and he turned to face me.

"Ginny...Hermione..."

"They're fine," I assured him. "They can take care of themselves. Plus, the Order's all here too."

He looked relieved. "Good."

I grimaced. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything, mate...but you know, Dumbledore..."

He sighed, shrugging. "I get it."

Somebody clapped loudly, turning the corner. "How sweet. Wittle baby Potty..." Bellatrix appeared, cackling shrilly.

Harry lunged at her, but I held him back. Bellatrix cackled again, toying with her wand. "Now, before I kill both of you, I've been _dying _to know what happened last summer, Potter."

Harry laughed humorlessly. "Seriously? How thick are you people? Do you really think I would know anything. Memory loss remember?"

Bellatrix curled her lips. "You expect me to believe that you don't recall a single thing? That nothing's come back to you at all? Well, let me give you a little hint. There was _a lot _of torturing going on."

Harry and I exchanged looks before simultaneously pointing our wands at Bellatrix. "Two against one. Odds in our favor, don't you think?" I said.

Bellatrix let out a shrill laugh. "You dare threaten me? _ME? _Besides," she added, sneering at Harry, "your basically useless now, aren't you? Poor little Harry Potter...can't even remember his own name."

Harry's hand tightened around his wand. "You'd be surprised at how much I remember."

Bellatrix paused. "You've gotten your memory back haven't you?" She screeched.

Harry shrugged. "It's been a rather recent occurrence."

Next instant, I felt myself slam against the stone wall. "Not again," I muttered, rubbing the back of my head. "Can't you people just stupefy me or something. It's much less painful."

Bellatrix had her wand pointed at me, but her eyes were on Harry. "Tell me what you know or spattergoit boy is killed," she threatened.

"They're just freckles!" I said angrily.

Harry glanced at me nervously. "Let him go, and I'll tell you whatever you want."

She grinned. "I don't think you're in any position to be bargaining, Potter." She stepped closer to him. "And you know very well I have no problem killing." She leaned down so that her face was inches away from his. "You remember my dear old cousin Sirius Black, don't you?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Bad move."

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry roared, sending Bellatrix into the wall. "You okay?" he asked me, giving me a hand. **  
**

"Oh, brilliant. I just love getting thrown into walls every five minutes." I said.

"Little Potty knows how to play," Bellatrix jeered, standing up.

"Confringo!" Harry shouted just as I yelled "Stupefy!"

Bellatrix easily deflected both our spells with one simple hand movement. "Is that all you've got?" she teased, gaining her balance back. "At least Sirius put up a bit of challenge before I killed him..."

I glared at her. "Seriously? How many times until you learn your lesson?"

"_Oppugno!_" Harry bellowed, sending several of the statues in the hallways to attack Bellatrix. He stepped closer to her as she attempted to fight off the ugly sculptures, but they were too strong. Bellatrix watched in panic as her wand was knocked out of her hand, and the warrior figures pulled her to the ground "I've learned a lot since I last saw you, _Bella__._" Harry said darkly. There was something slightly scary about the hatred radiating from his eyes. "I want you remember how pathetic I looked last summer, because you're about to get a little taste of it...let's just say Sirius taught me well."

Bellatrix screamed, lunging for her wand. Next thing I knew, she sent all the statues flying, and they slammed into the walls, breaking into thousands of little pieces. "You want to play, Potter? Fine, let's play."

Harry had his wand ready to retaliate, but somebody from downstairs shrieked so loudly that the sound ricocheted through the castle. It was so bloodcurdling that even Harry and Bellatrix stopped their duel, listening intently. Once the hair raising shrieks stopped, Bellatrix smiled cruelly. "I wonder who that was...maybe the little Weasley witch." She taunted.

Harry and I both sent spells her way. We watched in both horror and amazement as Bellatrix was thrown against the wall, her head going back and forth from a giant slug to a hairless cat. Glancing at each other, we sprinted towards the Great Hall without looking back as Bellatrix attempted to stand up with her switching heads.

"What the hell's wrong with her?" Harry asked as we traipsed down the corridor.

I shrugged. "Combination of two spells gone wrong?"

We turned the corner. "Well, I'm not complaining. But it won't hold her for long."

I grimaced. "You reckon she'll come after us?"

"And she'll be pissed, but I think we can-HERMIONE!" He sped up, a look of sheer panic on his face.

My heart seemed to have stopped for a second. I stood there in shock...completely useless. Hermione was lying on the top of the staircase, a pool of blood surrounding her head. "No, no, no..." I backed away. Everything seemed to have slowed down, and all the screaming and explosions faded. I couldn't hear anything except the beat of my own heart.

Harry knelt down beside Hermione, checking her pulse. "It's fading..."

I felt like I was going to be sick, but suddenly her hand fidgeted and I felt like I could breath again. "Where's Madam Pomfrey?" I demanded, rushing to her side. "Come on, Hermione. Stay alive...please, just keep breathing...please..."

Harry glanced down at all the fighting happening downstairs. Nobody seemed to have noticed Hermione. Not that I could blame them, really. It seemed as if there were people going down everywhere. For one horrible instant it looked like Remus might have gone down too, but he came right back up, looking angrier than ever. I turned back to Hermione, panicking as the little color she had in her face faded. "Harry, we need to bring her to Madam Pomfrey..."

He shook his head. "No, we'll run into Bellatrix."

"Then we'll take a different path."

"Ron, that'll take too long. She might be dying. She needs help now!"

I cursed loudly.

"No need for the language, boy. I'm right here."

Harry and I looked up to see Madam Pomfrey. I'd never been so happy to see the stern looking nurse in my entire life. "Help her!" I pleaded.

Madam Pomfrey turned to her side, where I hadn't even noticed Dobby and a few other house elves were standing. "You know what to do," she said. Dobby nodded and snapped his fingers. Hermione disappeared from my arms along with Madam Pomfrey.

"HERMIONE!" I screamed. "Where'd she go?"

"She was taken to the hospital wing, sir." A tiny house elf, wearing a very clean pillowcase explained. She bowed slightly to Harry and me.

"Dobby and the other house elves barricaded the hospital wing so no death eaters could get in," Dobby told me eagerly. "Dobby and his friends wanted to help the school...to help Professor Dumbledore..."

"So, she's getting help," Harry clarified.

"She and others! Madam Pomfrey has honored the house elves with the task of taking the wounded to her! Tis' quite an honor...to save the lives of our masters!" Another house elf said, beaming with pride.

"We must go and help, sirs," The house elf wearing the pillow case said, giving us another deep bow.

Harry nodded. "Be careful. Especially you, Dobby."

The others ran along, but Dobby stayed behind. He stared at Harry, his large tennis ball eyes watering. "Harry Potter is very kind. Dobby is lucky to have such a good friend, even if he doesn't remember."

Harry rolled his eyes. "How could I forget you, Dobby? 'Course I remember."

Dobby burst into tears. "Harry Potter remembers Dobby?"

"Yeah, it's been a rather recent occurrence, but, yeah, I remember you." Harry said.

"Dobby is so happy to hear this!" The tiny house elf nearly fainted with happiness.

"Thanks, Dobby." Harry smiled.

"Dobby must go and help the others, Harry Potter."

"Yeah, me too. But be careful, okay? Don't get yourself killed or anything."

"Dobby promises, sir!" He threw his skinny arms around Harry's waist before disappearing into thin air.

"Remind me to buy him a thousand socks when this is all over," I told Harry. We both laughed before pausing. "You reckon she'll be alright?" I asked him anxiously.

"Now that Madam Pomfrey's caring for her."

I nodded, gripping my wand and looking down at the battle before us. "Ready?"

"Nope."

"Me neither."

With that, we sprinted down the stairs.


	28. Dumbledore's Rescue

**Chapter Twenty Eight:**

**Dumbledore's Rescue**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

Parts of the battle were a bit of a blur to me. I kept looking for Ron and Ginny to make sure they weren't dead yet; but every time I got distracted, it would just be an advantage to my opponent. And I couldn't afford any mistakes. I fought hard, but I could tell we were losing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw more and more helpless bodies disappear into the hospital wing. The good news was that the fight was so terrible that the death eaters hardly even noticed the disappearing bodies, which meant that the hurt and wounded were getting the help they needed. I just hoped Madam Pomfrey could help them all.

We were putting up a good fight, but I knew we wouldn't be able to take much more. Our number had vastly decreased and the death eaters were getting more and more brutal. The only good news was that they seemed to be losing just as many people as we were.

If only Dumbledore were here. Where was he anyway? It was hard to believe that his school was under attack, and he was taking so long to come to the rescue. It made me feel a little uneasy. Something must have been terribly wrong if Dumbledore wasn't here.

"STUPEFY!" I shouted, finally seeing an inning. I knocked out the distracted death eater, and ran toward Ginny. "Need a hand?" I asked her.

She glanced at me. "It'd be helpful," she muttered, struggling to block every spell being thrown at her.

Ginny and I didn't have much time to throw many of our own spells. There were so many of them, and they were all so skilled and fast. We barely had time to block any jinxes coming our way. I wondered how we were going to get out of this one. The death eater was good. Too good. But all I needed was one second. Just a split second in which the death eater hesitated...

"Lacarnum Inflamarae!" I cried, sending a ball of fire to the death eater's feet.

"Petrificus totalus!" Ginny shouted as the three death eater was distracted by the fire growing at the hem of his robes.

"Good work," she said before she rushed over to assist Remus with the three death eaters he was dueling. I was about to follow her, when I saw Ron struggling to fight a blond death eater, who crazily firing spells at him. It seemed as if she didn't even care whether she hit the good guys or the bad guys.

The two of us had our hands full just blocking her spells. I kept trying to find a spare moment to fire an offensive spell, but it was useless. She was too good and too reckless. And trust me, that was not a good combination for an evil death eater .

"HARRY!" Ron cried, and I turned my head just in time before a red light hit me.

"Thanks!" I cried over my shoulder, already blocking the blonde's crazy spells. I thought it was a miracle I wasn't dead yet.

The blond death eater froze. Her eyes widened slightly before she collapsed to the ground. Kingsley stood behind her, his wand pointed. "You two alright?" he asked.

We didn't have time to answer him, though, because the three of us found ourselves dueling death eaters again. I struggled to aim a spell at the large death eater with a black beard. He easily blocked them, an amused grin on his face. He reminded me slightly of Karkaroff, minus the goatee.

"Is that all you've got, Potter?" He chuckled. "I expected more of a challenge from _The Chosen One!_" He burst out into fits of laughter. _Idiot_, I thought, _you're giving me a bloody opening. _

"Stupefy!" I cried, but he just laughed even harder, waving his wand lazily. "This is no time for kiddie spells Potter. You're in the big leagues now. CRUCIO!" He screamed, but I dropped to the floor just as the spell flew over my head. I attempted to get back up, but he pushed me back down. "Let's try that again. Shall we? CRUCIO!"

I rolled away, escaping the curse by a mere inches. From the corner of my eye, I saw Bellatrix. She was standing at the top of the staircase, overlooking the battle with a sneer on her face. To my dismay, her head had returned to normal, and she looked angry. She scanned the crowd, and stopped when she finally spotted me. Her sneer faded, and pure loathing hatred was replaced. I nearly got chills.

The death eater with the beard was still coming at me. "Running away from a fight, Potter? That's not like you." He aimed random hexes at me, but I found that I could easily block them. Slowly, my dueling abilities were coming back to me. I was still a little rusty from months of no training, but I knew I could still take these death eaters. At least, I knew I could take most of them. This one included.

I glanced at him. "Confringo!" I shouted furiously. I watched for a split second as his robes exploded into flames. He screamed, running around, attempting to set it off. I scrambled up, ignoring his shrieks of pain, and I ran up the staircase where Bellatrix was waiting for me. When she saw me coming, she waved her wand lazily, and I felt myself falling backwards, crashing down the stairs. I landed at the bottom, and I heard something snap.

"Bullocks," I muttered, wincing from the pain shooting from my arm. I attempted to get up, but I fell back again, gasping in pain. An invisible force had slammed me back down. But the worst was when Bellatrix appeared over me, her eyes bulging with anger.

She crouched down beside me, sneering. "Where's your precious Dumbledore now?" she whispered evilly.

I sat up. "REDUCTO!" I shouted, aiming at Bellatrix, but I missed and the curse hit the enormous glass chandelier on the ceiling. It exploded, crashing down right on top of Bellatrix's head. Unfortunately, pieces of glass went flying everywhere. A few flew past me, but one launched itself right into my knee.

Bellatrix collapsed to the floor, screaming in pain. I attempted to get up, but it was useless with the chunk of glass wedged in my knee. So, I tried to drag myself away, but I wasn't fast enough. Bellatrix gained her strength back and got up. She wobbled on her feet a bit, and touched her head, where blood seemed to be tangled within her hair. She looked at me with her cold, hard eyes. Slowly, I watched in horror as she reached for her wand, slowly pointing it to me. I dragged myself away as quickly as I could, scanning the floor for my wand, but there was no point.

"CRUCIO!" She screamed. Daggers were suddenly piercing through my body, stabbing every inch of skin they could. I writhed on the ground, screaming in pain. My body was on fire...I was burning alive. I heard someone scream. It was so bloodcurdling that the hairs on my body stood up, and I wished they would stop. Then, I realized it was me. But I couldn't stop. It hurt too much. I wanted it too end. I wanted to die.

And just as suddenly as it began, it ended. The hall had grown completely silent. I felt everybody's eyes on me. I couldn't move, though. I laid there, breathing heavily, wondering why she had stopped. And then I realized they weren't staring me. I turned my head to find Dumbledore standing at the top of the stairs, glaring down at the scene before him. Bellatrix was lying on the floor a few feet away from me.

I felt warm hands touch my face. "Ginny," I mumbled.

"You're okay," she whispered, rubbing my arm.

I sat up suddenly. "Dumbledore!" I gasped. And just as suddenly as all the fighting stopped, it started. Dumbledore was going after Bellatrix, and for the first time, I could see she look scared. No, I take that back. She looked _terrified_. She attempted to run away, but Dumbledore was too fast. She shrieked as Dumbledore hit her right in the chest, sending her flying across the room. She was headed right into the double doors. The old wooden doors swung open and she landed outside on the grass. Dumbledore started for her and I wanted to help, but Ginny pushed me back, blocking my view.

"How is he?" I heard Ron ask, sounding panicked.

"My knee," I gasped.

Ron and Ginny looked at the blood staining my jeans. "What happened?" Ginny asked.

"Glass," I managed to say. With my good arm, I reached over and yanked it out. Ginny squealed and Ron winced. "Where's my wand?" I asked them, attempting to stand up. Ron was about to give me a hand, when he froze. "What?" I asked, turning my head.

Peter Pettigrew was standing on the shattered chandelier, holding my wand. He was studying it carefully with a greedy expression on his face. "MY WAND!" I shouted, forcing myself up. I lunged for him, but he was already running. Ginny and Ron were right beside me.

"Harry, you don't have a wand!" Ginny screamed, attempting to pull me back, but I shook her off.

"WORMTAIL!" I shouted, throwing myself on top of him. I ignored the pain in my knee, and my completely useless left arm. I couldn't even move it, but I didn't care as long as the other one worked. I found myself on top of Wormtail, and then I was punching him. I was punching him with all the power I could muster.

"Harry!" Remus called, pulling me off of Wormtail. I struggled against him, but finally I gave in and he helped me up. I snatched my wand out of Wormtail's hand, and glared down at him. "That was for kidnapping me last summer." I stomped on his face, knocking him unconscious. "And _that _was for my parents."

"We need him for information, Harry," Remus warned.

"I know," I muttered. "Where's Dumbeldore?" I asked, looking around.

All the fighting had resumed, and I found Dumbledore dueling Bellatrix outside. She looked distracted, though. Every chance she could, she would glance inside the castle as if searching for somebody. I turned back to Remus. "What are they doing here?" I asked.

Remus glanced down at Wormtail grimly. "They're after him."

"Harry!" Ron and Ginny gasped, catching up with me. "Don't do that!" Ginny exclaimed, hitting my broken arm.

I winced, and her eyes widened. "Merlin, I forgot! I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"WORMTAIL! THERE HE IS!" A death eater that I recognized as Amycus shouted, pointing at us.

"This can't be good," Remus muttered, shoving us out of the way just as hundreds of spells soared in our direction. He knocked us to the ground, but it was too late for him. They blasted him away, and I lost sight of him as swarms death eaters surged toward us.

"Protect Wormtail!" I shouted to Ron and Ginny, silently praying that Remus wasn't hurt too badly.

The three of us tried to defend Wormtail's body, but there were too many of them. From the outside, I knew the Order was trying to help, but it was useless. All the death eaters ignored the Order and went straight for Peter. I tried my hardest to block all the spells and curses being thrown my way, but there was only so much I could do. A green light hit my chest, and everything went black.

* * *

Somebody was shaking me violently. "Harry! Harry!"

I opened my eyes, and Ron was crouching over me. "You're awake!" He sighed in relief.

I frowned. "Yeah...how?"

"Dumbledore saved us."

I sat up, panicked. "Ginny?"

"Right here," said a cool voice from the shadows. She stepped into the light, and I winced. Ginny and Ron were both sporting black eyes, their clothes were torn in many places, and they were paler than usual. Ginny had a fat lip and Ron had a large gash running across his cheek. If they looked this bad, I wondered how the people in the hospital wing were doing...how Hermione was doing...

"And Wormtail?" I demanded, grabbing my wand which was mercifully sitting right beside me.

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone."

I stood up, and cried out in pain. My knee was still weak and I was positive now that my arm was broken. "We need to get him back...where is everybody?" I wondered, looking around the empty hall. The last time I'd seen it, there were witches and wizards dueling to the death. Now, it was completely empty. And ruined. For a moment, I wondered how we were ever going to fix the damage done to the school, and then I remembered we were magic.

"Everybody's outside. Now that they have Womrtail, the death eaters are making a run for it." Ron explained.

I sprinted outside. Ron and Ginny called after me, but I ignored them. I wasn't sure who I was going after. I didn't know who I wanted to hurt more: Bellatrix or Wormtail? Outside, the night sky was perfectly clear. It would have been a perfect night for an Astronomy class. The Order was chasing death eaters outside the castle. Some of them ran to the woods, while others escaped through Hogsmeade. Either way, I saw Bellatrix first. She was with Draco in the middle of Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Come on, Draco!" She growled, pulling him along.

"No! The Dark Lord has a mission for me, and I haven't completed it yet."

She paused. "He'll be pleased enough you got us into the school. We've gotten that stupid rat, haven't we?"

"You know very well that isn't enough."

Her face split into an evil grin. "Your mum will be upset with me, but if it's to please the Dark Lord...Good luck, nephew." She gave him one more nasty grin before sauntering into the forest.

I flicked my wand in Malfoy's direction, and I watched as he fell to the floor in surprise. "COME BACK HERE BELLATRIX!" I shouted. She stopped and turned around, shocked to see me. Her shock quickly wore off, though, and it was replaced by amusement.

"I don't have time for your fits, Potter," she cackled, waving her wand at me. "I've got a deadline." I felt myself being thrown back. "Shame, really. The Dark Lord doesn't want us killing you yet..." She flicked her wand again and I was slammed to the floor.

Seething, I scrambled back up and followed her to the woods, ignoring as Remus and Ron chased after me.

"Harry, stop!" Remus pleaded, reaching for my arm. I yanked it out of the way.

"SHE KILLED HIM! SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" I shouted as Bellatrix cackled with glee.

"Harry! Come here!" Ron begged. I ignored the fear in his voice, and continued forward.

"I KILLED SIRIUS BLACK! I KILLED SIRIUS BLACK!" Bellatrix taunted. I hesitated for an instant, remembering the night Sirius died about six months ago. Bellatrix had galloped across the Department of Mysteries, chanting that she had killed her cousin, my godfather. There was so much pride in her voice...it infuriated me. I growled, speeding up, shooting any spells I could think of at her. Much to my displeasure, she blocked them all and continued running.

"Harry!" This time it was a different voice. A much softer one. "Please." She sounded so frail. So scared. It wasn't like her at all.

"Ginny," I mumbled, turning around. She, Remus, and Ron came to a halt in front of me. I stared at Ginny. Her light brown eyes were wide with terror. "Ginny," I whispered again. She reached out to me, and I fell into her. Hot tears trickled down my cheeks as her arms found me. She held me tightly. "She _killed _him...he's gone..."

"I know, I know," she whispered in my ear.


	29. How I Spent My Summer Vacation

**Chapter Twenty-Nine:**

**How I Spent My Summer Vacation**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

_Groaning, I rolled out of bed and opened the door to find Uncle Vernon in his best suit._

_"I'm taking the family out for dinner tonight," he said importantly, fixing his tie._

_"Can't wait," I muttered sarcastically._

_"Don't be stupid. You're not going!" he snapped._

_I shrugged. "Fine by me."_

_Uncle Vernon narrowed his eyes at me. I knew I was throwing him off with my blase attitude lately._

_"We'll be back late. So, don't do anything stupid," he growled, turning away._

_I slumped back into my bed, listening until I heard the car outside drive away. It was a peaceful night outside, almost eerie with how quiet it was. I considered going outside to pay Mrs. Figg a visit. I hadn't spoken to her at all since I returned from Hogwarts, and I really needed to thank her for last summer when she helped me and Dudley with the Dementor attacks._

_I was in the process of putting on my shoes when I heard the loud crack outside, disrupting the peaceful silent night._

_"Mundungus?" I muttered, frowning. Last summer, right before the dementor attacks, I had heard the loud crack of somebody Disapparating. It turned out to be Mundungus Fletcher, a sleazy member of the Order of the Pheonix._

_"They must be here to pick me up early," I thought, jumping up._

_"Mundugus! Mr. Weasley!" I shouted, grabbing my wand and running outside. _

_"Get back inside, boy!" Mrs. Figg hissed, when she saw me standing in the middle of the street, looking around. _

_"I heard somebody apparate," I told her. _

_"Exactly! That idiot must have left his position. Get back inside!" She ordered. _

_I sighed. "I thought it might have been Mr. Weasley."_

_She gave me a sympathetic look. "Just a few more days, boy."_

_I did as she told me, and I made my way back inside. Stupid Mundungus. I raced back upstairs, slumping onto my bed. At least the Dursleys were gone. I needed to go the park. It was the one place that I could calm down. _

_After a few minutes, I peered out the window. Mrs. Figg was nowhere to be seen...probably inside her house...and the streets were completely empty. I slipped my shoes on again and snuck outside. It was a clear night with a slight breeze. I trudged up the street, waving idly to a young couple taking an evening stroll with their son. The woman grimaced. People in this part of the neighborhood knew me as the Dursleys' troubled nephew. Children were warned to stay away from me...not that I minded, really. I got so much attention in the wizarding world that a break from fame was exactly what I needed. _

_Up ahead, the park was nearly empty. A father, who was playing catch with his son, checked his watch. By the time I made my way to the swings, the son was already trudging dejectedly behind his father. _

_"We're late for dinner as it is...your mum won't be pleased..." the dad comforted his son. "We can come back tomorrow!" _

_The little boy cheered up a bit and followed his dad out of the park, chattering endlessly about something or other. I sighed and closed my eyes, my hair ruffling against the light breeze. I thought about where Ron and Hermione were at this moment. I smiled, thinking of Hermione curled up in a chair, reading or doing homework. "Harry, honestly! I finished my homework ages ago!" she would have exclaimed, exasperated. I laughed, imagining her horrified expression when I told her I hadn't even opened my books since term ended. Ron, on the other hand, was probably with his family at The Burrow. I would imagine that they would be having dinner at this time. Mr. Weasley had probably just arrived, and his sons were probably pestering him with questions about the ministry while Mrs. Weasley piled their plates with custards and tarts. _

_For some reason, though, my mind kept wandering back to Ginny. I could picture her sitting at the end of the table, probably squished between the twins and Tonks. She would be leaning in, listening intently as her father spoke about the recent disappearances and deaths that had been hidden from the public. Her face was probably really pale. She always got a bit peaky when Voldemort was mentioned. Her eyebrows would scrunch together too, and her eyes would be set with a determined expression, almost as if she personally wanted to have a word with Voldemort about all this killing nonsense. _

_I laughed to myself, wondering whether or not she and the twins were planning on pulling something on Ron. Last time she'd written to me, she'd told me all about the elaborate pranks she and the twins played every night on Ron. She'd even sent me a picture of Mrs. Weasley attempting to remove the boils covering Ron's face caused by the potion they'd put in his juice. I would've found it hilarious if I didn't feel so bad for Ron. He'd made me promise to never show Hermione the picture. _

_A loud crack disrupted my thoughts. On instinct, I jumped off the swing, holding my wand out in front of me threateningly. "Bellatrix Lestrange," I muttered, seeing the tall, dark haired death eater sneering at me. I had jabbed my wand at her chest before she even got the chance to point her own wand at me. She glared at me furiously. _

_"Put your wand down, Potter," she hissed menacingly. _

_I glared at her. "Right, so you can blast me into smithereens. I don't think so."_

_I heard another crack behind me, but before I could do anything, large hairy arms had wrapped around me. Before I was apparated out, I saw Bellatrix let out an unhinged cackle, her cold eyes boring into mine with amusement. _

* * *

_I'd always thought Bellatrix was rather pretty, even though she was a sadistic killer. The problem was that like Sirius, Azkaban had not treated her looks well. She had dark, wild hair. Her coal black eyes would have been pretty if it weren't for the dark circles under them that covered her pale, sallow skin. She was pacing in front of me, laughing manically. "Crucio!" She screamed, her wand was pointed at me as I let out a bloodcurdling scream, my limbs feeling like they were catching on fire, knives pierced through my skin, my veins exploding...I shrieked, begging her to stop, begging for her to end it._

_"That's enough, Bella!" The voice of another woman with a softer voice sliced through the air. And just as suddenly as the pain came, it stopped, and I was left on the floor, shaking. "You're getting blood all over my best rug!" I turned my head slightly as the other woman came into view. Her light, blonde hair was pulled into an elegant bun. Her gray eyes were narrowed slightly, looking at me with a mixture of both pity and disgust. She pulled her silky, expensive nightgown more tightly against her. Even though my vision was swaying, I could recognize those cold gray eyes anywhere. They were the same as Draco Malfoy's. _

_Bellatrix glared at her sister. "Cissy, are you starting to pity Potter?"_

_Narcissa pursed her lips. "He's just a boy...Draco's age..."_

_"Really, Cissy? Pity for the boy?! It's Potter!" Bellatrix sneered in complete disbelief._

_"I know his name," Narcissa replied coolly, "but this is still my house and I don't appreciate hearing torturing and screaming in the middle of the night. I'm trying to get some sleep."_

_Bellatrix let out a strangled cry. "Sleep! The Dark Lord is on his way! Can you imagine how he'll reward us? All will be forgiven!"_

_Narcissa's eyes widened slightly, her mouth opening slightly. "Yes...well...do call me down when he arrives..."_

_From the way her hands shook and the way she slowly backed away, I could tell Narcissa was scared. Terrified, actually. Lucius was in Azkaban, now, and he couldn't protect her and Draco._

_Bellatrix shrieked. "Is that how you welcome the Dark Lord into your home? Cissy! Don't you walk away from me! Come here!" Bellatrix stormed off after her sister. "Potter!" she screamed, swiveling around to face me. Her furious face twisted into an evil smile. "I'll be back," she jeered before stalking off after her sister._

_The door slammed shut behind her. I closed my eyes, telling myself to breath steady. My hands still shaking, I sat up, grabbing the nearest table for support. Breathing heavily, I pulled myself up, gasping from the pain coming from my muscles. I looked around, searching for my wand. It had flown out of my hand, rolling away when Bellatrix started torturing me._

_Behind me, the door creaked open, and I swiveled around fearfully. Peter Pettigrew stood in the doorway, his wand pointed at me. _

_"The Dark Lord is on his way," he announced._

_I glared at him. "Great. I've been meaning to have a little chat with him. You know, what with him trying to kill me every chance he gets. It puts a bit of a damper on my whole summer break."_

_Peter's eyes widened slightly. "J-just like your father!"_

_"Don't talk about my dad!" I roared. "You coward!"_

_His face stretched into a wicked smile. "You're wandless, Harry. Remember that."_

_I glanced around, wondering where on earth had my wand gone. "What do you want, Peter?" I asked, attempting to keep the conversation going until I could locate my wand._

_"The Dark Lord...he was very upset," Peter said, his voice shaking slightly._

_"Oh, yeah. Sorry about messing up your little plans at the Ministry," I sneered, swallowing the lump growing in my throat._

_"He's very excited...glad they caught you...glad he got past Dumbledore's security and the blood wards," Peter continued._

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's on his way to come kill me. Greatest wizard of all time. Blah blah blah. Honestly, this is getting a bit old. You people need to think of a new speech. Though, I must say, I am having a difficult time figuring out how I'm going to get out of this one..."_

_Peter kept his wand pointing at me, his hand shaking wildly now. "He'll be very pleased with the Malfoys and Lestranges. They'll probably be his favorites again."_

_"So?" I asked. "What's new?"_

_"So, I want a bit of that favortism. I'm sick of being pushed around..."_

_"Oh, yeah. I forgot you liked having big friends that protected you. Yeah, well, no matter what you do, Voldemort will never protect you like my dad. You see, my dad was this little thing that you would call good. While on the other hand, Voldemort is what you would call evil. Now, evil doesn't really care about making sure their friends aren't being bullied and picked on."_

_Peter flinched. "Don't say his name!" he hissed._

_I frowned. "Or...is it Voldemort you're scared of? Do you need to get into his good ranks so that he won't hurt you? Is it both?"_

_"Shut up!" Peter squealed, looking around wildly as if to make sure nobody had heard me use Voldemort's name. "I will get the same amount of privilege as Bellatrix and Lucius! I won't have to serve that greasy slime-ball anymore! I'll be forgiven for my past!"_

_"Oh, yeah? And how are you going to do that?" I challenged, actually a bit curious now._

_"It's simple, really...Stupefy!" Peter shouted, his wand pointed in my direction. I tried ducking, but I was still too weak. The muscles in my legs couldn't react as quickly, and my reflexes were shot. And the curse hit me...straight in the chest. And then everything went dark._

* * *

_I looked up at the dark sky, taking in the beauty of it. Never in my life had I seen so many stars. They lit up the entire sky, illuminating all the trees and small houses in the distance. Groaning, I took another step, attempting to forget about the nightmarish cold that threatened to freeze me to death. Swirls of falling snow danced all around me. It would have actually been quite pretty if it weren't so sinister. Another strong gust of wind slowed me down as I wheezed and coughed, clutching my stomach._

_"Hurry up!" Wormtail snarled. I felt a blow to my head and dropped to my knees. Closing__ my eyes, I attempted to regain my strength. With all of the energy I could muster, I straightened up. I looked down at the numbingly cold snow. Little red drops were quickly staining the perfectly white snow. Gasping, I realized the red drops were coming from my hands, which were stained with blood._

_"I'm bleeding," I wheezed, clutching my stomach. All of the sudden, I realized the agonizing pain in my abdomen. Something was wrong with me, but all I could concentrate on was the beautiful yet disturbing sight of the dark red blood dripping onto the white snow._

_"You've been going in and out of consciousness for the past hour," Wormtail informed me, dragging me along the snow. _

_"Why am I bleeding?" I asked, attempting to stand up. I lost track of how long it was since Wormtail kidnapped me from Malfoy Manor. My guess was about a week, give or take a few days. _

_"Bar fight last night in Belgium," he muttered, pointing his wand ahead of him. I noticed he too had several bruises down face, and his arm was shaking fearfully as we travelled down the snowy hill. "They tracked us down again...I had to start a brawl...make sure we could get out of there unnoticed. The good thing was that nobody saw us. They don't suspect me yet, but it's only a matter of time..." he said it more to himself than to me. _

_I shook him off, clutching my stomach. "It feels like somebody shot me."_

_"No, they just stabbed you."_

_I glared at him. "That's comforting."_

_He shot me a look. "Shut up! I need to concentrate."_

_"Where are we now?" I wondered._

_"Small Russian town. We're going to lay low here for a while...I have to make sure nobody tracks us down again..."_

_"I'm underage, dung brain," I muttered. "They'll track us down anytime you use magic. Have you not learned your lesson in the past four cities?" I held back a howl of pain. My stomach felt like it was about to burst. Not to mention, the bitter cold was weakening me with every step I took. _

_He glared at me. "This is one of the most famous wizarding towns in all of Russia. There are loads of people here using magic. Nobody can track us down here...I just need a few days to regroup..."_

_"Wait...it's snowing..." I said. _

_Wormtail glanced at me. "You must have hit your head harder than I thought."_

_I bit back a retort. "But it's summer!"_

_"It's Russia."_

_"But still," I protested, "it must be loads warmer in the summer...even in Russia..."_

_I could tell Wormtail was getting impatient. "It's also a magical town known for their winters. Tourism, Potter."_

_I sighed. It felt strange thinking about such mundane things such as tourism, especially when you were being kidnapped by the fat coward who betrayed your parents and got them killed. I shivered, cursing the stupid town for having year long winters. It was one thing to be beaten up and stabbed, put to nearly freeze to death? I stared at the head at the looming town. I wondered if maybe I could make an escape there..._

_Wormtail pulled me along and I gasped in pain as his hold on my arm tightened. "And what exactly are you planning to do with me?" I managed to say. My eyes were starting to water from the pain. _

_He ignored me. We had finally reached the outskirts of the little Russian village. If I weren't being kidnapped and in so much pain, then I would probably enjoy all the sights this little town had to offer. Children were flying around on toy brooms, shrieking with laughter. With a sad pang, I remembered the first time I rode a broom at Hogwarts..._

_Witches strutted down the streets, carrying bags full of the latest fashion in fur. Advertisements for dragonhide jackets and gloves were plastered all over shop windows and walls. It was like a Russian, winter version of Diagon Alley. There was a large ice rink with children skating around magically, giggling and laughing. Laughter. That felt like another lifetime ago._

_"Ty v poryadke?" A tall man with a black beard exclaimed at the sight of Wormtail and me. The man was wearing a long fur coat to match his fur hat. He had a friendly face and welcoming amber eyes. I wondered if I could communicate with this man to help me, but I didn't speak a word of Russian. _

_"Sorry, we only speak English," Peter said gruffly. "We're looking for a hotel..."_

_"Down ze street," the man said with a heavy accent._

_"Thanks," Wormtail mumbled, dragging me away. _

_"Help!" I mouthed to the man, my eyes widening as Wormtail dragged me away. The man stared at me, blinking. I wondered if he even knew what I was trying to say to him. It was useless. He just looked lost. _

_Finally, Wormtail turned the corner and I lost sight of the confused man._

* * *

_Wormtail snored loudly, rolling over on his bed. I sat up, eyeing the door a few feet away from me. It'd been days since we'd arrived in Russia, and my stomach wound had healed slightly. At least, I'd finally gotten used to the pain. Most of the bruises on my arms were starting to fade too. I knew I was physically strong enough to leave...__But how would I escape? The only way I could open the door was with a wand, and I'd lost mine in Malfoy Manor. I could try to steal Wormtail's, but he knocked me out every night so he could find a safe hiding place for it. It could take me hours until I found it. And what if Wormtail woke up to find me rummaging through his drawers? Too risky..._

_I could try to knock Wormtail out in his sleep. Merlin knows I'd been wanting to clobber him ever since I met that slime ball, but I'd lost loads of weight and Wormtail still remained a fat lump. There was no way I could take him on with all the strength I'd lost. Even Hermione could probably beat me to a pulp. I shuddered to think of what Ron and Hermione would say if they saw me in my condition. _

_I glanced around the room helplessly. Aha! The window. I was sure Wormtail hadn't magically sealed the window. He'd been a bit forgetful and jumpy ever since we witnessed the death eaters raid through the town yesterday. They were looking for me. I knew they were. They must have been able to track us down all the way to the village, but there was so much magic around this town that I knew this was as far as they would get. They searched the town all day, and Peter managed to hide us well, and I was pretty grateful. I would rather escape on my own and find a way to contact the Order than to have death eaters find me again. _

_I slipped on my shoes which had worn out a lot since Wormtail kidnapped me, and I put on the fur jacket Wormtail had bought for himself. It was a little big, but it was my only hope of not freezing to death outside._

_My heart raced as I unlatched the windows. Wormtail stopped snoring, and I froze. I waited for him to wake up, but he merely stirred and rolled over to the other side. After a few moments, his loud snoring started up again. Sighing in relief, I pulled up the window. Instantly, the warm room froze over. I shivered, pulling my leg over the window. I glanced back once more to find Wormtail still fast asleep. I hopped out the window, and slowly closed it again, making sure not to make a sound. _

_I stepped away from the window and looked around. I was standing on the roof of the inn. I climbed around the old roof, careful not to fall off. A managed to make my way to the edge of it, and I looked down. Thankfully, it had stopped snowing, but that didn't mean I knew how to jump off without breaking every bone in my body. If only I could apparate..._

_The streets were completely empty, but that was okay. I just needed to find somebody to send a message to Dumbledore. Better yet, maybe they would take me in side along apparation to Britain. It wasn't a good plan, but it was all I had. I was a wandless underage wizard trapped in the middle of a foreign country. I wasn't even sure how I would be able to communicate with the Russians, but I would cross that bridge when I came to it. Right now, I needed to focus on finding a way to get off this roof. I peered down, my heart pounding. A few feet to my right there was an open dumpster where I could land safely. I shuffled carefully to the left, positioning myself so that I would land right in the middle of the smelly trash. _

_My heart was beating so quickly, it felt like it would burst out of my chest. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped. However, instead of finding myself falling through the bitter cold air, I found myself being pulled back by my hair. _

_"What are you doing, Potter!" Wormtail hissed, clutching me by the hairs. He had his wand pointed at my neck, a livid expression on his face. Before I knew what was happening, he flung me back. I soared through the air, slamming on top of the roof. I howled in pain as I slowly slid down the roof, landing at Wormtail's feet. I remembered his foot slamming onto my face, and I was too weak and tired to fight it. Everything went black. _

_When I woke up again, I was lying on the cold stone floor of our motel room. Wormtail was looking panicked as he peered out the window. "You're lucky nobody saw your stupid stunt, boy," he growled, slamming the window down. "Get up!" he barked, attempting to sound threatening, but his voice was too squeaky. But I knew better than to argue. I got up. I flinched when I saw myself in the mirror. I could barely recognize my own face. It was bloody and swollen, and my nose looked broken. I could barely even make out my scar. My face was too pink and swollen. _

_"We're leaving before you try anything else," Wormtail said, grabbing my arm. _

_Before we left Russia, Wormtail broke into an apothecary down the street. I didn't know exactly what potions he planned on stealing, but I was horrified when I saw the bottles. _

_"Polyjuice Potion!" I exclaimed. If he forced me to take the potion, then nobody would be able to recognize me. I fought him off as best I could, but I was too weak. It took every ounce of power to even walk, let alone fight off Wormtail. _

_So, a few minutes later, Wormtail and I looked like two strangers. Wormtail had picked out a rather intimidating looking man for himself. He towered over me, fiddling with his long, dark hair nervously. He managed to steal a few hairs for me too. I was a balding, older man with a friendly smile. When our transformations were complete, Wormtail tossed aside his fur coat. I frowned, wondering where he was taking me to now._

* * *

_When we landed, I was relieved to feel the sun beating down against my skin. Summer! I opened my eyes and gasped, recognizing the cobblestones streets of Hogsmeade. I looked around, my heart filling with joy at the sight of Hogwarts in the distance. Dumbledore was there. If only I could get away from Wormtail...I could get into Hogwarts and I was safe. _

_Something jabbed at my back. "Don't even try running," Wormtail breathed in my ear. Sighing, I allowed him to drag me into the dark alley. Out of the corner of my eye, I was eager to see a familiar face. Madam Rosmerta was sweeping the front of the Three Broomsticks. I was about to call out to her when somebody hit the back of my head. _

_"Oi!" I shouted, rubbing my head. _

_"Don't even think about calling for her," Wormtail threatened. He checked his watch. "You make contact with anybody, and they're dead. Got it?"_

_"You wouldn't kill anybody in broad daylight," I said. _

_Wormtail seemed to have realized the flaw in his plan. "Fine," he muttered, raising his wand at me, "STUPEFY!"_

_When I woke up, I was in a dark room that was sickening familiar. Unfortunately, I couldn't see it very well, because I was tied up to a chair, and I was too distracted by the ropes biting into my skin. My glasses were all scratched up and foggy, and my mouth was gagged. _

_"Finally, you're awake," Wormtail squeaked. He was pacing around the room nervously. _

_"The Shrieking Shack? How thick are you?" I asked once he removed the cloth from around my mouth. _

_"I know this place better than anybody...nobody will find you here..." he was talking more to himself than to me. "Now, I have to go back...they think I'm out looking for you like the others, but if I'm gone too long, they'll get suspicious..." _

_I was about to ask what the hell he was talking about, but he gagged me again. "Don't do anything stupid, yeah," he warned me. He shrank down to his rat form and scurried out the room. I screamed violently, but it came out as a pathetic muffled moan. _

_I looked around the room, recognizing the dark green wallpaper and loose floorboards. Last time I was in here, Sirius was still alive. With a sudden flash of anger, I screamed again, shaking violently against the chair. I rocked back and forth, trying to set myself free, but it was useless. The ropes were cutting into my skin, and it was opening up all my old wounds. _

_I lurched forward, trying my hardest to free myself. Instead, I slammed into the ground, still tied to my chair. I cried out, completely frustrated. There was no way I was getting out of this one. I was dead. I felt hot tears trickle down my cheeks, and I finally allowed myself to cry. I sobbed for Sirius, for my parents, for everybody. But mostly I cried for myself. I didn't want to be here. It wasn't fair. I just wanted to be at the Burrow with Ron and Hermione. With Ginny and the twins playing their stupid pranks on Ron. With Hermione reading all her ruddy books. With Mrs. Weasley insisting on fourth and fifth helpings even though I felt like exploding I'd eaten so much. I just wanted to be home. _

* * *

_Hours went by, and I was still lying helplessly on the floor, tied to the chair. And I was still struggling against the ropes, but it was useless. _

_Days went by. And I was really hungry now. But I wasn't struggling against the ropes anymore. I was too tired. But I couldn't sleep. _

_Finally, a tall man with dark red hair returned carrying a tray of food. When he saw me, he shook his head. "Just like James. You should have just sat still." _

_I wanted to kill him. _

_He set the tray down and paused, examining me. "You know, I knew James very well. They say you're a lot like him. And you know what James would have done if I untied him? He would have attacked me. Now, if you're anything like your father...you'll try to attack me..." _

_I would have fought him, but I didn't even know how I was still alive. I felt like a zombie. Every inch of my body hurt. I couldn't even blink without wincing in pain._

_Wormtail sat down beside me. "Now, I'm going to ungag you. But you utter a single word, and I'll take the food away." _

_My eyes darted to the tray. It looked as if he'd gotten it from Madam Rosmerta's. I could recognize the smell of her Cornish pasties anywhere. Wormtail carefully removed the cloth from around my mouth, and I let out a sigh of relief. It took every ounce of my strength to chew the food, and it was even more of a struggle to drink the pumpkin juice. But too soon, the food was gone, and my energy went along with it. My eyelids were getting heavier and heavier with each bite. Finally, everything went dark. _

_When I woke up, I was finally sitting up again. Wormtail had put me upright, but unfortunately he had gagged me again. I looked around the dark room, and he was sitting on the old couch across the room. The Polyjuice Potion had worn off, and he looked like his old self again. _

_When he saw me wake up, he looked excited. "They don't suspect a thing! They think I'm too stupid to pull off something like this. They laughed at the idea! Can you believe it? Well, in a few more weeks, I'll be able to take you to the Dark Lord myself. I'll be welcomed back as a hero! I'll be the Dark Lord's best man!"_

_"And what if I tell him the truth?" I asked. I was shocked at how weak my voice was. It sounded more like a croak than anything. _

_"Memory charm!" he squealed, delighted. "Nobody will suspect!"_

_I sighed. "Why don't you just take me back now?"_

_He looked around nervously. "It'll look too suspicious. I finally show my face after weeks, and suddenly you're back...no, no..." He stood up. "I need to be around more...if I'm missing all the time, it'll look too questionable..." He writhed his hands nervously before shrinking down to a rat. I watched him scamper off, and I found myself falling asleep again. _

_The pattern continued for days. I slept most of the time, and occasionally Wormtail would return with food. I'd given up on making an escape. I knew my days were limited. It was only a matter of time before I died._

_I slept too much to be sure of how long I was actually tied up in the Shrieking Shack. After one particular visit, I remembered to ask Wormtail. He shrugged. "About two weeks," he muttered, shrinking down to his rat form. _

_"Two weeks," I mumbled, already drifting off into sleep. Wormtail scurried out of the room. _

_When I woke up, I awoke with a strange surge of energy. I'd had an interesting dream. I was playing Quidditch at Hogwarts. I was zooming after the snitch. the little golden ball was inches from my fingers. I was just about to catch it when...WHAP! A bludger slams into my wrist. I toppled off my broom and landed on the soft grass. I clutched my wrist painfully. My team flew down, looking concerned. _

_"You alright to play the rest of the game?" Angelina Johnson asked anxiously._

_"I don't think so..." I muttered, staring at my wrist helplessly. Angelina looked as if she might have a panic attack. _

_Ginny, on the other hand, frowned at me. She leaned down, her light brown eyes piercing into mine. "Don't give up, Harry," she whispered._

_"I have to...it hurts too much..."_

_She shook her head. "__Just look around and try one more time_."

_And suddenly I was in the gloomy old room of the Shrieking Shack again. _

_I frowned. Ginny. I hadn't thought about her in ages. Last time I'd seen her we were on the train back from Hogwarts. I thought of her dazzling eyes as she leaned closer to me in the dream. I'd never realized how pretty she actually was. _

_"__Just look around and try one more time_," I repeated, looking around the room. With a gasp of pleasure, I saw something that I should have seen ages ago. It was just a wooden stick, probably from a broken piece of furniture. It was on the table, resting casually along with several other broken items. But what caught my attention was the sharp point at the end. So sharp it could easily be used as a knife. 

_For the first time in weeks, I felt a glimmer of hope. My heart was racing as I inched the chair forward. I only had one shot at this. On the count of three, I lunged forward, lurching toward the wooden stick. As I flew through the air on my chair, something sharp streaked across my arm down to my hand, and I howled in pain. I landed on the ground with a thud, but I was too excited to focus on the pain. The ropes that bound me weren't completely cut off, but they were looser. Much looser. I wiggled my hands around, my heart pounding so much it hurt. Finally, I managed to released my hands, and I cried out with joy. _

_"Thank you, Ginny," I muttered, quickly undoing the ropes tied around my feet. _

_Everything was going so well until a plump man with thinning blonde patches of hair returned. He came into the room nervously, muttering to himself. I froze. When he saw me, he squealed in shock. I tried untying the ropes around my feet faster, but Wormtail had a better advantage: He could actually walk. He took the wooden stick I had used to free myself and whacked me on the head. _

* * *

_"Would you quit doing that?" I cried out when I finally returned to consciousness. I rubbed the back of my head. "How many times are you going to knock me out until -" I froze, realizing that I was no longer tied up. I glanced around. I was lying on a tidy bed in a small room with a TV. Over to my left there was a bathroom, and to my right there was a large window with the blinds closed and a door with the number '514' plastered in gold. Wormtail was at the bathroom sink, washing his hands._

_What struck me the most, though, was the noise. Outside, I could hear a buzz of talk and laughter and life. There were cars honking and amulances. City noises._

_"Well," I said, "this certainly isn't the Shrieking Shack."_

_"We're in New York," Wormtail told me, coming out of the bathroom._

_"Why?"_

_"I need to get rid of you...Severus suspects...that stupid Legilimens...I should have known..." he muttered, writhing his hands anxiously._

_I frowned. Snape! Snape was on our side! He knew! I grinned in relief. I was sure Snape would have told Dumbledore something by now. And Dumbledore was a genius. I was sure he was on his way to rescue me right now. "Pity," I sighed, sliding off the bed. "This has been fun and all, but it's only a matter of time until Dumbledore finds me..."_

_Wormtail shook his head, slowly pointing his wand at me. I noticed his hands were shaking uncontrollably. "It didn't work out the way that I planned, but I can't have you blabbing about what happened..."_

_I was about to say something, but then I looked past him into the mirror. My hair had been bleached blond. I stared at it horrified. "Wormtail, what are you -?"_

_"OBLIVIATE!"_


	30. And The Real Work Begins

**The Final Chapter:**

**And The Real Work Begins**

* * *

**Harry Potter**

* * *

It seemed everywhere I went, stares would follow me.

"He's got his memory back! Did you here?"

"I heard he singlehandedly took on Bellatrix Lestrange..."

I sighed, nervously running my fingers through my hair. I guess things were finally back to normal: I was the freak people whispered about in the hallways.

"Just ignore them, mate." I glanced sideways and found Ron and Hermione walking beside me.

"Where've you two been?" I wondered.

"Library," Hermione told me. I rolled my eyes. Of course.

"Where were _you_?" Ron demanded, his eyes narrowing at me suspiciously.

"Dumbledore...the ministry was here earlier and they made me give a statement and all that rubbish..."

After the night of the attack, Dumbledore sat me in his office, and I told him everything that had happened to me that summer. He sat in silence, listening intently with his piercing blue eyes gazing at me sadly. I knew he blamed himself for not finding me sooner, but in all honesty, it was my fault. I went to the park, even though I knew Mundungus had left me unprotected.

Telling my friends was much worse. Hermione stopped me every five seconds to ask questions or to gasp in horror. Mrs. Weasley sobbed the entire time, and I made sure to leave out the worst parts for her benefit. Every time I told the story, my eyes sought Ginny, though. She would just sit in silence, listening with an anguished expression.

"Where's Ginny?" I asked them casually.

Hermione looked at me with a little too much understanding. "She's in class, remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

Ever since I'd gotten my memory back, things between Ginny and me had been a little weird. I'd been so busy having to answer to the ministry and catching up with my school work that I'd barely seen her.

"So, how are you?" Hermione asked softly.

I looked away. "I wanna kill her."

"Bellatrix?"

I nodded.

Ron frowned. "What about Wormtail? I've wanted to rip that bloody rat's head off for years."

I laughed humorlessly. "Whatever punishment Voldemort has reserved for him is probably ten times worse than anything I could ever do."

Hermione shuddered. "Oh! Don't say that!"

Ron wrapped his arm around her. "Sorry...but it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

"I wonder if he's still on the run..." I said thoughtfully.

"You reckon You-Know-Who will ever forgive him?" Ron asked.

I frowned. "I don't know...if he does, he'll make sure Wormtail pays for it..."

We walked in silence, wondering what was going on outside the protected halls of Hogwarts. Somewhere out there, Wormtail was running or hiding or even being captured. Hell, he could even be dead right now as we speak. Voldemort wasn't exactly known for being a very forgiving bloke...

I paused, seeing Ginny and a few friends climbing out of the portrait hole. She was carrying an armful of books and her schoolbag was wide open, notes and quills spilling out. She cursed under her breath, setting her books down and leaning over to pick up her fallen materials. A couple of her friends hurried past her, but a few stayed behind to help. I rushed over, helping her gather her things. When she saw it was me, she froze for a second.

"I'm running late," she muttered apologetically.

I smiled, handing her her books. "Yeah, I figured."

She gave me a tentative smile. "So...I'll see you around, then..."

* * *

I looked out the window, staring blankly at all the people running around outside. I spotted Ron and Hermione bundled up in scarves and coats. They were headed towards Hagrid's hut. I watched them smiling. They were holding hands, laughing and chattering easily.

"You could join them you know."

I jumped back, startled. "Remus!" I gasped. "Don't do that!"

He chuckled. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

I gave him a small smile. "What are you doing here, anyway? Are you here to replace Snape as DADA teacher?" I asked hopefully.

Remus smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry."

I shrugged wistfully. "One can only hope." I sat down at the edge of my bed and frowned. "So...what exactly are you doing here?"

"Ron was worried about you...he thought maybe I should talk to you..."

I raised my eyebrows. I wasn't sure if I was angry with Ron yet. "Did he? And what exactly did he want you to talk to me about?"

Remus sighed, leaning against the wall. "Sirius."

I flinched. "There's no need -"

"_Harry,_" Remus said sharply.

I looked away from him. "I just miss him. It's not fair...I already lost my dad...why him too?"

Remus nodded. "I felt the same way. I lost two of my best friends...two of my only friends, really." He looked down at his hands. "I was so mad at the world...my two only friends and they were taken away from me. I didn't know what I would do without them...it hurt _so much_."

"So, what'd you do to get over it?" I wondered.

He smiled wryly. "Who said I'm over it?"

"So, it never gets better?" I asked bitterly.

He shook his head. "No, it gets better, but only when you allow somebody to help. Harry, you don't have to go through this alone. You know I love you, and Ron and Hermione and Ginny and the list just goes on. Sirius was my best friend, and he loved you like a son. He would hate to think that you had cut yourself off from everybody that cared about you."

I blinked several times. I didn't want to cry in front of Remus. "And how do you handle the pain?"

"You focus on the good times, and just take it one day at a time. You remember that they would have wanted you to live your life, and not lock yourself in your bedroom."

I looked up at him, and I was startled to see how heartbroken Remus looked. And then I remembered that my dad and Sirius were just as much his family as they were mine. "Sirius loved you too, you know."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I know. And I loved him too. Even though that prat was such an idiot sometimes."

I laughed. "I bet."

There was a knock at the door, and we both turned to find Dumbledore standing at the door.

"Professor," I said, startled.

"Hello, Harry. Remus, I thought I told you to wait in my office."

Remus looked up at him guiltily. "You were taking too long."

Dumbledore laughed. "Once a marauder, always a marauder, I see."

Remus laughed and looked back at me once more with such a heartbreaking expression that I wanted to reach out and hug the bloke. "I'll give you two some privacy...I should be leaving anyway..."

Once Remus left, Dumbledore turned to face me. "How are you feeling, Harry?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Fine."

He smiled. "It's been quite an eventful year so far."

I nodded. "Sir, did they find him...Peter, I mean..."

Dumbledore gazed at me. "I don't know. Wormtail has quite a disguise...it may be difficult to track him down again..."

I nodded. "And sir...what about Malfoy? You saw he was with the Death Eaters!"

"Mr. Malfoy also refused to leave with them."

I jumped up. "But sir, I told you what he said! He wanted to stay behind to finish a plan! He's up to something. I know he is."

"I will not turn away a student in need, Mr. Potter. Perhaps Mr. Malfoy can still be saved. Perhaps he just didn't want to go back to a home full of death eaters. Either way, I appreciate your concern, but I hope you understand when I ask you to please trust me when it comes to Draco Malfoy. I will never allow him to put the lives of my students in danger."

I wanted to argue, but there was something in his voice that told me not to. "Of course, Professor," I muttered.

"Now, I need to discuss something else with you, Harry," Dumbledore said. "A few months ago, I asked you to get close to Professor Slughorn. Did you do what I asked?"

I nodded vigorously. "I don't mean to brag, but I _am _his favorite student."

Dumbledore smiled. "Good. That will definitely come in handy."

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"I want to resume our private lessons on Monday night," Dumbledore informed me.

"But I've got my memory back, Sir," I protested.

He nodded. "I understand, but these lessons will be a little different. We have much to discuss...including the prophecy..."

I gaped at him. _The prophecy. _Merlin, with everything going on, I'd completely forgotten about that.

Dumbledore stood up. "Enjoy your weekend, Harry, because come Monday and the real work begins. Oh, looks like you have another guest. Hello, Ms. Weasley!"

Ginny stood in the doorway. "I can come back if you want," she said, her eyes widening at the sight of Dumbledore.

"No, no. I was just leaving." Dumbledore winked at me before leaving. I just stood there, staring after him.

"Harry?" Ginny asked tentatively. "Is everything okay?"

I blinked several times, looking at her. "Erm...yeah...why wouldn't it be?"

"I ran into Remus in the hallway, and he told me to come talk to you..."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course he did."

"I can leave if you want," she said, already backing away.

I shook my head. "No! Don't."

"Okay."

We stood there awkwardly, staring at each other. I didn't know what to say to her. "So," I began, but I couldn't think of anything else to say.

She shook her head, coming closer to me. "I knew this would happen. Listen, if you want, we can just forget the past couple of months and just go back to the way things were, you know?"

I stared at her. "You know how I told you about Wormtail tying me up in the Shrieking Shack? And I tried escaping by using the wooden stick to cut myself free?"

She looked at me uncertainly. "Erm...yeah..."

"Do you know that before I tried that, I had a dream."

She frowned. "Harry, where is this going?"

"That dream was about you. You were the one telling me to try again...not to give up..." I stepped closer to her. "Do you know what that means?"

"That even in your dreams, I'm pretty damn wise."

"No. It means that even before I lost my memory, it was you that I was thinking about...that I was dreaming about. It's you, Gin. It's always been you."

The next thing I knew was that Ginny's arms were around my neck, and her lips were pressed against mine. My hands went to her waist. One hand slid up her back, pushing her further into me.

Too soon, Ginny pulled away from me. "You don't know how happy I am to hear that," she breathed.

I rested my forehead against hers. "I love you, Ginny."

She beamed. "I love you too, Harry."

I smiled. "See, I told you I would feel the same way about you no matter what."

She rolled her eyes, intertwining her fingers with mine. "Come on, Ron and Hermione are waiting for us at Hagrid's."

I nodded, allowing her to lead me away. "You know, Remus told me to let you other people in...to talk about Sirius..."

She paused, looking at me. "Do you need to talk about him?"

I shook my head. "Not right now. I just want to enjoy my time with my friends and my girlfriend."

She grinned, pulling me down the stairs. "Girlfriend, huh? I like that."

I laughed, wrapping my arms around her waist. Much to my surprise, Ron and Hermione were waiting for us outside the portrait hole. "Hey," I said, "I thought you were at Hagrid's."

"Remus told us to come and make sure Ginny got you to come," Ron said, pointedly staring at my arms around Ginny. "So, I guess you two are back together, huh." I wasn't sure if Ron looked happy or disappointed.

Hermione, on the other hand, beamed at the sight of the two of us together. "Well, it's about time!" she exclaimed.

"So, what were you and Dumbledore talking about?" Ginny asked curiously as the four of us made our way down the hall.

I groaned. "He told me to enjoy my weekend, because the real work would begin on Monday...it's about the prophecy..."

Ron sighed, shaking his head regretfully. "And here I thought we would actually have a relaxing term."

I laughed. "Not when you're friends with the Chosen One."

"Well, we've still got the weekend," Hermione reminded us as Ron clasped his hand around hers.

"That's true," I mumbled as we made our way toward Hagrid's hut.

I could worry about being the Chosen One on Monday. Right now, I was going to do what Remus advised me to do: I was going live my life. Sirius wouldn't have wanted me to mope in my room. The prophecy could wait a few days. Right now, I was going to enjoy an evening with my friends.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**The end! First off, I want to thank everybody who's been reading and reviewing! I've enjoyed writing this fic so much, and I can't believe it's actually finished. **

**I hope you liked the last chapter! **

**Keep on the look out for my next fic!**

**-Summer4Girl**


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